


This must be an Amicitia trait ...

by The_PrincessCat, Xhidaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, a baby shield is a buckler?, baby amicitia, lots of noodles, oh no gladio you didn't, uh oh acidents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22311094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_PrincessCat/pseuds/The_PrincessCat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xhidaka/pseuds/Xhidaka
Summary: Gladiolus and Ignis have been dating for three years, and when they are both pulled from bed by a very upset Clarus, their entire worlds are turned upside down. Before Gladio had settled down with Ignis, he had been a well known play boy. The consequences of his actions comes rearing its ugly head and threaten to destroy the relationship that they have worked so hard to create.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 20
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I promise this chapter starts out angsty, but it gets cute! Thank you for diving in to this short little fiction! Do enjoy!
> 
> This chapter was a lot of fun, and I found myself rereading it and forgetting that I was supposed to be editing it as well. There is more fun to come in the next couple chapters.
> 
> We respond to all comments and every kudo is cherished! Thank you for reading!

The room was dark and warm. Walls were decorated minimalistically, the art consisting of two swords crossed over the headboard, mounted to the wall and a classy pinup of a girl and a motorcycle. The bed took up the majority of the room, large and commanding for the room's owner. 

Beneath the red sheets, the soft hum and synchrony of two bodies. A large tattooed arm wrapped comfortably around the waist of a much thinner and smaller frame. 

Gladiolus Amictia let out a soft snore as he pulled Ignis's naked body in, perfectly mirroring the curve of his own. It was comfortable. Normal. Home.

The morning breeze played gently at the drapes, letting in the faintest hints of gray light from the rising sun. Down the hallway steps echoed, mixing with the sounds of birds and distant cars that filtered through the window. 

Then came the knock. Through the silence of the world it was as though the door had been repeatedly struck with a hammer. But Gladio would know the knock anywhere. It was Clarus. Ignis stirred, brow creased but did not wake.

"Coming." Gladio called out in his half asleep state. He blinked a few times, the world coming into sharper focus. As another barrage of knocks came, Gladio pressed a kiss to Ignis's temple, and slipped out of bed.

He grabbed a pair of discarded boxers and slipped into them before opening the door. "Hmm?"

Clarus was stern when the door finally opened. He was fully dressed in his Shield garb and was standing at attention. On his face was a look Gladio had seen many times before. Usually when he was about to be scolded for a girl he’d snuck around with. "Gladiolus, put on some clothes. We're going to the Citadel. Now."

"What?" Gladio blinked as if he was still asleep. Was this a dream? 

He looked back to Ignis who had retrieved his glasses and was looking at him, concerned. "It's my day off. Haven't even done my morning workout."

"Later. We've been cleaning up your mess all night. Now it's your turn. Get dressed. You have five minutes." No nonsense. Clarus turned and headed down the hall without another word, leaving Gladio blinking in the doorway. 

"What the fuck does that mean? What mess?" Gladio closed his door behind him moving to his closet, and pulling out his Crownsguard fatigues. "Sorry Iggy."

Ignis had barely woken up, glasses on his face but nothing else. There was no doubt he'd heard the conversation. It hadn't exactly been hushed, after all. His voice was still scratchy with sleep. "What's going on?"

"Hell if I know." Gladio slipped into shirt and pants quickly. "Apparently I've fucked shit up. Don't know what I coulda done that required Citadel intervention though. Any ideas?" Gladio shrugged into his vest and sat on the edge of the bed to slip into his shoes. "Either way. Dad’s pissed. Guess I'll find out soon." 

Ignis wracked his sleep addled brain, but couldn't think of anything, either. 

"Do you want me to come along?" Up until this point Ignis hadn't bothered finding anything to put on, but now he was scanning the room for his discarded clothing. 

"No. It's your day off too. Can't imagine we'll be long." Gladio stood up, smiling down at his lover.

….

The car was running when Gladio reached the driveway, his father leaning against the black Crown vehicle with a frown on his face. The middle aged man was deep in thought, though blue eyes flicked upwards to register his son’s approach. The back door was open and waiting. The moment Clarus saw Gladio he leaned down and entered the car.

So this was how it was to be. Gladio let out a sigh as he slipped into the back seat, the tension rolling off Clarus palpable. Something serious was going on and hopefully Gladio would be let in on it sooner rather than later.

"Remember when you were younger?" Clarus paused, gaze shifting out the window as the driver exited the manor's gates and rolled onto the street. "And we had that long, drawn out conversation about the trollops you kept taking to bed without any regard for your own reputation or a thought in your head?"

"That was a long time ago." Gladio shifted in his seat. His amber eyes fixed on the surroundings as they drove down the road. The Citadel wasn't far from their manor and the fact that Clarus had a driver didn't bode well. This was official business.

"Yes. But do you remember? Son. This is important." When Gladio glanced back his father's gaze was meeting him, fully. "You remember when I spoke of consequences?"

"Yeah. I remember. Dad." Gladio cleared his throat, meeting the sternness of his father's gaze. "You were worried I would tarnish the reputation of the Shield by sleeping with the wrong people or that I'd end up with an illegitimate heir. But you don't have to worry about either. I'm dating Ignis now and I always used condoms."

"Always?" The elder Amicitia lowered his brow, skeptically. 

"I'm pretty sure that's what always means. Every single time." There was no waver in his voice as the car came to a stop at the foot of the Citadel steps. 

A grunt was Clarus's response to his son. "How long ago was the last girl, Gladiolus? Just so we know how badly you've fucked up."

"Whoa." Gladio huffed, looking at his father. "What does that have to do with anything? I haven't been with a girl since I've been dating Ignis. Don't you dare say otherwise. I have never cheated."

"Just give me a time, Gladiolus." A hint of exasperation as the stern blue eyes fell closed. For a moment he looked like nothing more than a tired, aging man. 

"Three years? Probably a little longer. Ignis and I just had our three year, what, two, three months ago." Gladio shook his head. "What is this about?"

"That sounds like your reputation. Right out of one bed and into another." There was no malice in this, as Clarus had been much the same until he found one that held his interest. "And the timing's unfortunately right." 

A long sigh left Clarus's lips, as though he'd been hoping for some miraculous information that would change things. "This is not how I wanted to find out I was a grandfather, so I sure as hell hope you have all your cards in line."

"Excuse me?" Gladio spoke, but not before his father had exited the car and began heading up the Citadel stairs. It took Gladio a moment to realize that the driver had opened the door for him. 

Clarus did not stop, even as the guards opened the door to let him through. He walked straight through the lobby, past the receptionist and towards the elevators in the back hall. Only then did he stop, his stern gaze fixed on the wall ahead of him. 

It took Gladio only a moment to catch up, pushing his phone back into his pocket as he shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "I'm not sure I heard you, dad?"

Clarus's head tilted as the elevator dinged. "Wasn't I clear? You have a three year old son, Gladiolus. And since we've dealt with the dirt the situation has left behind it's time you step up and be a man."

Gladio's jaw detached from its hinges and as he gaped at his father, it seemed like it wasn't likely to reattach any time soon. 

.....

The room Gladio was led to was the Room of Records, which, as far as the Citadel went, was actually a small collection of private meeting rooms attached to a sprawling library of file cabinets, old tomes and shelves, meticulously organized using an ancient method that seemed only the line of Record Keepers understood. The room smelled of dust, ink and paper, and this smell carried to the meeting room assigned to Gladiolus and Clarus Amicitia. Number eight.

Inside they found an old wooden table with four matching chairs and only one occupant. The room itself was free of decoration, though the intricate blue and gold wallpaper was more than enough to suffice. 

The occupant was one Formosa Scriba, the youngest of the Record Keepers at the age of twenty six. Despite her age she was very serious about her job. In front of her was a series of file folders, each clearly marked in red, blue and black.

As Clarus entered he gave the young woman a nod, which only caused her to lower her head to hide the slight blush beneath her glasses.

"We came as quickly as possible." Clarus took a seat across from the recorder and waited for his son to do the same.

Gladio sat down, the old chair squeaking with the weight of his body. This was so far out of his realm of comfort, and even as his phone buzzed in his pocket, Gladiolus remained as still as a statue. 

The girl across the table opened the first file, marked in red. "Gladiolus, sir… I'm going to need some signatures from you. First we have the restraining order." She slid the document across the table. Gladio's eyes widened as he looked at Clarus. 

"Just sign it." Clarus grunted. "Last night that woman you knocked up stabbed one of the Crownsguard. She was trying to break into the Citadel to find you. That makes her a danger to you and your son."

"How do we know he's my son?" Gladio shook his head, staring at the page. "I mean, anyone can claim what they want. But is he actually mine?" Although Clarus had seemed to want to just brush this under the table, Gladio was going to give fight. 

"I'll sign this but I need proof of him being genetically mine before I continue further." Gladio signed the page, eyes moving between the other two in the room.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you might want to see that, first." Formosa pulled open the last file, marked in black. "Your paternity test. It was easy as you already had genetic material on file in the Crownsguard library." She pushed a sheet of paper across the table. On it was catalogued the paternal, maternal and child DNA comparison. 

"It's not the first time we've run this test for you, either." Clarus said curtly, his chin resting on his folded fists. "Just the first time with a positive result."

Gladio looked at his father, dumbstruck. "Then why ask me all those questions? Where'd you get my genetic material?" His eyes went down to the page, not exactly comprehending what was going on. 

"Oh, it's collected yearly at your Crownsguard physical." The recorder said, simply. "If you look at the fine print, they separate the white blood cells from your samples and keep them for emergency identification use."

"We'll run it again if you want." Clarus sighed. "But just be compliant for the time being. You will still have a choice in all this. In a sense."

Gladio opened his mouth, and closed it without a sound coming out. He bowed his head, succumbing to his fate. "Okay. What next?"

Formosa left the paper in front of Gladio, then pulled out another form to sign. "This one is just confirming that this meeting took place." As he signed it, she extracted another. Several others like it were passed under him, until the red inked folder only held one more document. Each one was afterward stamped.

"This one…" the woman paused and shifted in her seat. "The two of you may want to talk about this for a moment… is the custody agreement. Since the mother is both considered unfit as well as physically incapable of caring for the child, you would be given full custody."

Clarus looked seriously at his son, though he allowed time for the young man to think it over. The document was thick and had already been signed by several official offices.

After a long moment, Gladio looked up to meet Formosa's eyes. "And, say, theoretically, I didn't sign this. What would happen to the child?" Gladio could feel the death stare he was getting from his father, but he felt his stomach churning and the ground felt slightly less even than it had before. 

"Foster care, of course." She flipped to the second page. "If that's the course you choose, you sign here. In five to ten years, when the mother is released from prison, she will be able to attempt to retrieve the child, assuming a psychotherapist finds her suitable. With drug users and those convicted of violent crime, it's a long road, though she will be eligible for several programs to aid in her rehabilitation."

"Piece of work you got yourself mixed up with, Gladio. Couldn't you at least speak to the women you bed?" Clarus flipped through one of the files from the blue folder. It was the mother's record. It was longer than the adoption form, which was impressive. 

"Can I-uh- have a moment?" Gladio stood, feeling the world spinning around him. His hand was on his phone before he received an answer. Everything was crashing down around him and he needed to grab onto the only solid thing he had. 

Gladio moved from the room, his speed dial already calling his most used contact. He continued to walk until a familiar voice greeted him on the other end, his hand bracing a wall for support. "Ignis?"

_ "Gladio."  _ There was the sound of a door closing and an echo.  _ "I just got to the Citadel. Are you alright?" _

"I-" Gladio took a deep breath in, the ground seeming to level only slightly. "We're up on the seventeenth floor. I need to know. Would you still be with me if I had a kid?"

The question pulled knots at his stomach and he felt like he might lose the contents, which currently consisted of nothing. Gladio could hear the gears working as the silence on the phone dragged on.

_ "Is this rhetorical, Gladio?"  _ There was a shuffling, then the sound of others in the background. 

"No." Gladio actually did think he was going to lose his 'lunch'. "If you don't want to be with me with a kid, I'll send him to foster care and suffer my father's wrath. I'd rather not lose you though."

There was another long silence from Ignis's end of the phone.  _ "I think this is something we should talk about in person. I'll be right up."  _ then the call ended.

Gladio blinked at the screen, feeling like the Tidemother had sent a typhoon and was incoming to swallow him whole. He stumbled across the room, finding a window to stare out of. "Is this what fells the mighty Shield?"

"Gladio." Clarus appeared down the hall, walking with a steady gait. "Come on, let's get this over with. Then you can get home."

"Ignis-" Gladio spun on his heel, meeting his father's gaze. "He's on his way. I need-" 

"He knows the way. Come on." Clarus reached the young man and put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to lead him back to the Room of Records. "Remember, you're an Amicitia. To us, family is everything. I'm not asking you to marry this woman you knocked up, not that you could at this point… I'm just hoping you will do the right thing and take responsibility for your actions."

Gladio took a sharp inhale as he followed his father as if he was being led to a firing squad. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."

The door closed quietly behind them. Clarus sat his son down and passed him the form he'd previously bolted from. "Take your time. Read it over. Ask questions. We can do this quick or not. If my opinion matters at all I think you already have what it takes to be a good father."

Gladio's hand grabbed the paper, a steady sigh pressing from his lips. The words on the paper were a blur, the pen in his hand. "His name is Marry?" 

"According to the birth certificate, yes." Clarus washed a hand over his face. "We will handle it with small steps."

There was a knock at the door, three gentle raps before silence.

Gladio looked up from the paperwork, looking hopefully to his father. "I think that's for me?"

The older man gave a nod, though he also let a sigh through his nose as his son got up to answer the door. When it opened Ignis was there, an insulated pack slung over his shoulder. His eyes darted momentarily toward the table with papers strewn across, then diverted back to Gladio. 

"Is this a bad time? I brought breakfast… enough for everyone." Ignis blinked, indirectly inquiring if Gladio was still alright.

Gladio nodded, offering the last chair to Ignis. "We're just going through-uh- the paperwork. I-uh, mentioned it on the phone?" The world seemed to momentarily right itself and Ignis would be much better suited to sifting through paperwork than he.

Ignis sat hesitantly and removed the insulated pack, exchanging the paperwork with the food. "Actually, we didn't get that far in the conversation. Please, someone eat these I fear I made too many…"

Immediately his eyes went to the paperwork, trying to absorb as much information as he could to catch up. 

"Mr. Scientia," the Record Keeper tilted her head, glancing at the newcomer. "I assure you that all of the paperwork has been put through the legal department already and everything is in order."

"Not to worry." Ignis replied, flatly. "I'm just here for moral support. I just need to know… exactly what I'm morally supporting…"

Gladio stared at the wrapped burrito in front of him, not actually feeling much like eating in light of current events. His stomach was in a knot, as he expected the worst. 

Clarus sighed yet again, though unlike his son he grabbed one of the burritos and started to eat, leaning back in his seat, in for the long haul, it seemed. 

The recorder advised Ignis into the black folder, which she referred to as her ‘info file’, and turned back to Gladio. "Mr. Amicitia, do you have any questions about anything?"

"Where's the kid?" Gladio looked up from the untouched burrito, to look at the woman in front of them. It seemed she wasn't touching her food, either. 

The recorder shifted her glasses and opened the blue file one more time. Inside was a picture of a little boy, brown hair, amber eyes, sitting in a playroom. "A picture from about two hours ago, in the Citadel daycare. He'll be there until you make your decision."

Gladio grabbed the photograph, and stared at the little boy in the picture. If anyone looked like Gladio's kid, it was this little boy. So small, so innocent. "Ignis?"

Ignis immediately looked over to the picture in Gladio's hand, stopping his own speed reading of the file. He couldn't escape the resemblance. Gladio's eye color, alone, was very rare in Lucis. "He does… look just like you, doesn't he?"

"You should see him in person." Clarus grumbled, reaching for a second burrito. Having been up most of the night without sustenance had made the homemade food rather irresistible. "Looks just like you did at that age. No one's gonna think twice about this kid being an Amicitia. He's even got your eyebrows."

Gladio put the picture down and met Ignis's emerald eyes. "I dunno if this is the right choice and I dunno if you'll leave me for it, but I hope you won't." And for a second it became overwhelmingly clear that Clarus, Gladio's father, was sitting in the same room as them and Gladio's ears turned bright red. 

"I love you, but I get if you don't want to raise my son with me." For better or for worse, whatever was going to happen would happen. Gladio grabbed the pen once more, meeting Ignis's eyes before signing his name, taking the full burden of this kid under his wing.

Ignis's lips parted slightly as he watched Gladio sign in silence. When he spoke it was quietly, a hundred thoughts and feelings running through his head all at once. "This was always your decision to make, Gladio."

Clarus put a hand to his son's shoulder. "We're going to need to redecorate one of the rooms on your floor." But it seemed like a weight had already lifted from the older man's chest as he watched the Record Keeper stamp the final document. "I'll give Jared a call. Make sure you take this seriously, son. This child is now the most important thing in your life."

"The black copy is yours to take home." Formosa collected the remaining documents into the red and blue inked folders respectively, then stood to leave, flashing only a parting glance at Clarus before taking her leave. "Have a nice day, sirs."

Gladio stared at the burrito sitting next to the file folder, letting out a sigh. He grabbed the food, figuring it might be his last home cooked meal. Ripping through the foil, he bit into the perfect burrito. "There's nothing like Ignis's cooking." He hummed, looking over his boyfriend, who was still invested in the paperwork. 

....

After Ignis had fully read over the documents, it came time to retrieve the boy from the Citadel daycare. Gladio had been staring down at the picture silently after his food was finished. Clarus, the Gods be kind, continued to lecture Gladio about what it meant to be a father.

After the third repetition of 'this child is now the most important thing in your life', Gladio turned to his father, "Second at best, dad. Shield duties above everything else, you should know that better than anyone."

Ignis had remained relatively silent, and it was starting to worry Gladio. The decision had been made and he was sure they would have a long chat about it later. 

The Citadel daycare was located on the second floor, and was an amenity provided to anyone who was under Crown pay. As the Sheild, a number of hours was given to Gladio for childcare and he was briefed on it as he signed out his son. 

Nodding, Gladio shifted back on his heels, looking at Clarus and Ignis who stood directly behind him. "What next?"

"Your study's been cleared out." Clarus confirmed with a scroll of his phone. "They're putting together furniture now, should be done within the hour… really you should go get your boy and try to bond with him. Get him something to eat." The elder Amicitia paused with a wide yawn. "You can handle it from here, yeah? I need to check in on Regis, then… take a nap on his bed while he's in weeklies. I'll talk to the King, see if I can't get ya another day off or two. Noctis will be fine."

And with a wave the current Shield took his leave. Just then a woman came out of the daycare, a sleeping child slung over her shoulder. She smiled warmly, zeroing in on Gladio. "Mr. Amicitia?"

Still shell-shocked, Gladio turned to the woman. "Eh-yeah. That's me."

The woman motioned for Gladio to come over, then carefully transferred the boy between their shoulders. He looked much smaller when curled over Gladio's large shoulder. 

The woman stepped back, then caught a glimpse of Ignis and stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you waiting on your child as well?"

Ignis shirked back and stuttered, clutching the file folders to his chest. "Uh-I-no…. I'm here with Gladio…"

"Apologies, then." The woman gave a chuckle. "I guess I'm just used to single fathers here at the Citadel. There's a startlingly large number."

Gladio sighed, figuring he couldn't be the only unlucky member of the Crownsgaurd. "Thank you. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other ..."  _ More than I want.  _

_ "Ignis _ ? You drive the car or do we need to call a driver?" Gladio slowly moved away from the daycare, and back towards the elevators. "I figure you want to talk about this?"

Really the look on his face hinted pretty hard that he didn't, though they both knew they had to. Ignis sighed, using his phone to set up a ride, since he didn't need the hassle of checking out a vehicle. He had a feeling he needed to conserve his mental energy. "Everything happened fairly quickly, didn't it? You certainly have a firm web of support, being an Amicitia."

"That's a good thing, right?" Gladio sighed as the elevator doors opened in front of them and they stepped inside. "I don't think I can do this alone. I'm kinda really freaking out I'm gonna fuck this kid up and everyone's gonna see me as a failure."

"For one, maybe reduce the swearing around the child." Ignis crossed arms over his chest as he leaned against the elevator railing. "You won't mess up. You have a lot of people around you to help you. People who love you and would do anything for you. But I think… it's… normal to be scared."

"That's reassuring." Gladio took a step towards Ignis, his spare hand reaching out towards him. "You gonna stick with me through this?" 

"It would be stupid of me…" Ignis broke the sentence with an unexpected sigh. "To throw away three years without trying. You didn't choose this and, well, by all accounts you didn't do anything wrong… other than being an idiot about who you undressed for. But the timing, it's…" green eyes that were fixed to the floor shifted away, even as their fingertips linked. 

A sigh escaped Gladio's lips and the tension between his shoulders loosened. "You are too good for me, Iggy." 

....

It was only mid morning when the car pulled up to the Amicitia manor. Already the was a bustle of movement, several other cars and trucks blockading the driveway. Play equipment that hadn't been used since Iris was a child was broken down and replaced. Men passed by covered in paint and others carted large cardboard boxes.

Almost in tandem, Gladio's phone shook with an incoming text.

_ Went a little overboard. Don't worry about the mess. Hang on main floor. _

"I feel a migraine coming on." Gladio grumbled, pocketing his phone and looking at Ignis. "Think my dad's excited to have a grandkid. Says the upper floors are off limits until they're done." Gladio gestured to the mess of construction workers. 

It was at that moment that two things happened simultaneously. Iris Amicitia bounded playfully out of the manor doors and the child woke from his nap. Iris didn't even get a word out as said toddler decided to start screaming at the top of his lungs, arms and legs swinging erratically. 

"Ohmygoshhe'ssocute!" The teen squealed through the ear piercing wails. She came in close, even as her brother held the child at arm's length to avoid getting kicked or punched. 

"Say hi to Aunty Iris." Gladio deposited the child in his sister's arms, and let out a sigh when the kid quieted in favor of tugging on his sister’s short hair. "This kids gonna be my death." Gladio grumbled as they moved inside.

Jared greeted them immediately on the opposite side of the threshold, and while the child remained happy to tug on Iris's hair she was soon handing him back to Gladio. "Daddy, your baby is heavy."

Jared passed by, a smirk on his aged lips. "And from the smell of it, he's soiled his trousers."

"Shouldn't three year olds be potty trained?" Gladio mouth dropped, the smell finally reaching his nose. "Anyone know how to change diapers?"

"They should and I do." Jared stepped cheerfully past the three youths and motioned for them to follow. "Come, all three of you should learn how to do this."

Gladio didn't complain as he followed Jared along, knowing that man had single handedly changed more diapers in his time than anyone else in Eos. The downstairs living room already had a child's playpen and a changing station placed in the corner. "Fuck that man works fast…"

"I think dad's gone crazy." Iris added, having been woken up by hammering and a witness to the entire scene. 

Ignis, on the other hand, seemed amazed how quickly the transformation had occurred, and how completely. "Is this normal? I don't think I've seen anything like this…"

"For this household, I'm afraid it is." Jared had already gotten the flailing child up onto the changing table unclothed, and was dodging limbs and fluids like a pro. "Young man, this would go much quicker if you stayed still. And besides, it's time your dad teaches you to use the toilet."

"Thanks, Jared. Don't think the kid speaks much... But he should right? How do you potty train? This was not given to me with a manual! Is it like training a dog?" Not that Gladio had ever done that either, but it sounded easier.

"Well…" Jared lifted the young boy off the table and set him on his feet. He wobbled for a moment, then stood, clutching Jared's leg and looking at him, confused and concerned. "I'm sure there's still some books around, if you'd like, but I figured you kids would be more keen using the internet."

Iris plopped down on the floor next to the toddler. "I'm sure he knows some words. Kids know lots at this age I think. Hey, what's your name?"

"Lil Sheet." The boy announced proudly, and even through the slight stutter, his words were clear. 

"Did he just say 'Little Shit'? You've got to be kidding me." Gladio's hand ran through the long mane of his hair. 

"On the bright side, he knows some words." Ignis pressed a finger to his glasses.

Iris laughed, but kept her tone warm. "That's not your name, silly. Your name is--" she looked up towards her brother for the answer.

"Birth certificate says Marry spelled with two 'R's. Dad says we can change it. My guess is mother dear actually called him Little Shit." Gladio looked pleadingly to the others in the room. "I haven't had time to think of a name though."

"You never thought about it?" Iris asked, as though wounded. "But you were always supposed to have kids! I have a whole list! Amell, Griffin, Barrett, Zale…"

"Bernard, Ferrum, Quillon…" though it was apparent that Ignis's additions were simply read off of his uplifted phone.

"See? It's easy!" Iris grinned.

"Yeah, that's what you think. Does he like any of them?" They then proceeded to call the kid each of the suggestions. While most names seemed to garner a neutral reaction, the name Barrett sent him into a screaming fit while the name Griffin seemed to have he giggling and smiling just moments later. 

"Any objections to Griffin Amicitia?" Gladio asked, looking down at the child. 

"I'll call your father." Jared responded when no one objected, leaving the room, phone in hand. 

"I'm totally stoked you let me name your baby, are you kidding?" Iris was literally jumping for joy, little boy giggling in her arms.

"Yeah yeah, little flower. You named my son. Congrats." Gladio smirked, grabbing both Iris and Griffin, causing happy screams to echo through the lower levels of the Amicitia Manor. 

Ignis passed by the Amicitias once the screaming had subsided, heading toward one of his usual haunts in the kitchen without any additional prompting. It had been among Clarus's suggestions, after all. "Well I suppose I should go fire up the stove, since I doubt toddlers can eat breakfast burritos, though if you can find out anything he  _ does  _ eat, that would be nice." 

"Iris," Gladio smiled, placing her and Griffin on the ground. "You got him for a minute? Be a good Aunty?"

"Yeah?" Iris looked up, confused. "I'll just… show him his toys? Let's go look at toys."

"Thanks kid." Gladio placed a hand on her head before following Ignis into the kitchen. He was busy rummaging in the fridge. He wandered over to him, humming softly and leaning against the counter to grab his attention.

From the fridge Ignis pulled a variety of dairy and meat products and set them on the counter. When he turned toward the pantry he almost ran headfirst into Gladio. "Sorry, my head was elsewhere. Trying to figure out what one eats before they develop tastebuds."

"I think hotdogs and noodles. But if the kid is smart, he'll eat whatever you cook. Guess you could ask the Moogle?" Gladio watched Ignis frantically move, a frown creasing his brow. " You okay?"

At the suggestion Ignis moved to grab some spaghetti noodles from the cabinet. "I'm… admittedly a little out of sorts." Though it was hard to miss the softened edge on his usually very precise speech. "I feel quite the outsider. I have a bit of experience with children, but none this young and… I'm sure you understand the sentiment of not feeling quite ready. Tossed in the blender, if you will."

It wasn't often Ignis let his thoughts roll out so readily, and as he crossed the gap to the pots and pans it was evident that he had become aware of that fact. "Apologies. I seem to be making a fool of myself. I did not mean to ruin your happy family moment with my negativity."

"No, Iggy. You know you can speak freely around me." Gladio followed as if he was Ignis's shadow. "I'm glad you're here and not abandoning me over my stupidity. I haven't the foggiest what I'm doing. I'm scared shitless, and I'm sure this kid’s gonna end up just as fucked up as I am. Hey, don't make that face. I know if you're here, it'll be okay though. You'll do good with the kid. Keep him sensible, right? I mean it works with me?"

Water on but not quite boiling, Ignis sighed, busying himself cutting up hotdogs and spearing them with dry pasta. "That's if his thought processes are that straight forward, if he doesn't have a condition that alters his neural pathways or if his mother's drug addiction didn't stunt him in some way." Ignis frowned and scrunched his brow, realizing how negative that sounded, as well. "Gladio… I don't want you to think I won't try… I just… I never thought of myself as father material. I'm not sure I'm capable of caring for a tiny person."

"Well," Gladio bit his lip as he went up behind Ignis once more, wrapping his arms around his chest. "I think you're the most capable person I know. So. Yeah. I knew I'd be a dad one day, but yeah. One day at a time?"

Ignis nodded, knowing that was the only way either of them would make it through. He leaned back into Gladio's grasp. "So if it hadn't happened this way, then… what would that have meant for us, when you had to become a father?"

"I figured we'd figure it out when we came to that point. I ain't good at thinking long term. You know. YOLO and all?" Gladio squeezed tighter, knowing this was what had gotten him into this situation in the first place. 

"Well, that's changing, isn't it? You have to think about the long term." Ignis frowned, trying to push the previous scenario out of his head. "Though I'm sure your father already gave you that speech a hundred times… You think I should make a sauce for these?" He hesitated, lifting one of the skewered hot dogs.

"Yeah. I'm working on it. Stupid responsibility and stuff." Gladio raised an eyebrow at the meat noodle combo with a smirk. "I think we'll try with sauce and if he's fussy, serve him the half without? Little boys love making messes. I think we'll do just fine, me and you."

"All right then." Ignis tossed the noodles into the boiling water. "But I'll go easy on the seasonings for now…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio just can't seem to catch a break at any turn, and with Ignis just as frazzled at the edges, Gladio decides to give them both the night off. After all, it was supposed to be their day off together before Griffin showed up literally on their doorstep. However, perhaps calling in the terrible two isn't such a great idea ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun playing with a new skin. Tell me how you like the text messages! I think it gives a little more life to story!

Screams echoed through the mid level of the Manor at exactly 5:52 in the morning. Gladio shot up in bed, eyeing Ignis in his half asleep state. "I'll go check on him."

Gladio stood, letting a sigh from his lips as he exited his room and into the hallway. Griffin's room was only one door down, and Iris had already gone about decorating a little name plaque for him. But the other side of the door was most definitely where the screaming was coming from. 

As soon as the door swung open, Griffin tumbled out, and made a beeline for the stairs. Blinking, Gladio watched in amazement at his movement, and then he wondered how he'd gotten out of his bed. 

Ignis had opened the bedroom door just as Griffin ran past, a bewildered look on his face. Immediately he followed, catching up with the young boy as he stumbled down the stairs. Ignis lifted the boy from under the arms, only to have the child suddenly go limp like a doll.

"What is he doing?" Gladio was at the top of the stairs looking at the comical duo. "Don't kids sleep?" 

"Yes, but they are also early risers." Ignis hauled the child back up the stairs, trying to get the toddler into a more comfortable position, but failing. "Might as well start our morning, a few minutes early."

"Yeah." Gladio yawned. "That normally means a run for me, does that change with a little one?" Come to think of it, he'd never gotten his run yesterday, either.

"I'm not sure." Unable to keep the awkward weight, Ignis set Griffin down on his feet, still lightly gripping one hand. "Perhaps I can… teach him to cook? Or is he too young for that?… or wake up earlier." A glance down showed Griffin staring upwards, his gaze silently shifting between the two men. "Oh bother. Griffin? Would you come with me to the kitchen so your daddy can go on his morning run?"

"Num nums?" Griffin titled his head as he questioned Ignis. 

"See? You two will be fast friends." Gladio chuckled, gently tapping Ignis on the back. 

"Right. Go run. I'll do what I can, here. Hopefully they didn't remodel the kitchen on this floor…" Ignis heaved a sigh, righting his glasses one last time. "And you, young man, should not be running off on your own. It's dangerous, you could get hurt."

"Num nums!" This time, as Gladio disappeared down the stairs, the words sounded like a command and not a question. He left the manor to a chanting of "Num Nums. Num Nums."

It was about fifteen minutes into his run that his phone buzzed in his pocket. His father. 

"Yo?"

_ "On your morning run, Gladio?" _ Clarus's voice was clear as though he'd already been awake for a while.  _ "I'm impressed. How's your boy?" _

"Ignis is cooking breakfast. Griffin decided to try and make a breakout right before our alarms. Think he was going to try and feed himself?" 

_ "That's curious."  _ There was a pause.  _ "Anyway, sounds like you figured it out. I need you to come down to the Citadel." _

"I thought I got extra days off?" Gladiolus looked in the direction of the Citadel curiously. In the early dawn light the crystal was even more brilliant than most other times. 

_ "It's just for a moment. You need to sign the papers for the name change, and it has to be done in the presence of the King. Changing a kid's name means amending a lot of paperwork and reissuing a lot of documents. Most of it we can handle when you come back with the Record Keeper, but this needs to be done asap. The King is a very busy man." _

"Right now?" Gladio let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll call a car." 

_ Maybe I won't get a run in today... _

**Click**

Immediately Gladio's phone started ringing again, as though it had started before Clarus had hung up. Ignis's number flashed across the screen. 

"What's wrong?" Gladio asked hurriedly. "Griffin hurt himself? The manor on fire?"

_ "I'm… I'm really sorry for bothering you."  _ Ignis sounded frazzled, more so than Gladio had heard him in a long while.  _ "Are you, um, going to run by a market or someplace that sells children's things?" _

"I'm headed to the Citadel. More paperwork. I can swing by someplace. What's wrong, Iggy? I didn't mean to jump to conclusions." 

_ "It's okay. Just… Griffin doesn't know how to use silverware so I need something that won't hurt his teeth and um…. So here's the thing. We made macaroni because he tried eating the mix packets and I figured that meant it would be something he'd eat. But he not only doesn't understand silverware, but refuses to eat anywhere but on the floor. When I tried to move him to the table he acted like I was taking the food from him… then he shoved me and ran back to the floor...so if you could get him some of those children's plastic forks and-and spoons and maybe, um, some sort of chair that he'll stay in…. I'm really quite sorry, I'm rambling. I didn't mean to upset you…" _

"Iggy. I'm not upset. I'm sorry I'm going to be away for longer than I thought. I'll grab all of that and hopefully be home soon. Wait. Did you say he tried eating the sauce packet?" Gladio stopped walking to double check his thoughts. 

There was a sound of exasperation from the other end of the line, but the pause was minimal.  _ "Yes. Quite literally he opened the box of pasta, pulled out the packet and starting trying to gnaw his way through it. I-I don't think it was the first time…" _

"I-" Gladio shook his head as he started walking once more. "That's not normal, right? Like. That seems ... Unhealthy."

_ "Gladio. It will be alright. I'm just a little… I'll make some calls either when you get back or when he sets down for a nap. We'll be- we'll be fine." _

"Thank you Ignis. I'll be home shortly. I owe you big. Anything else  _ you  _ need?" The Citadel was getting closer and Gladio let out an inner sigh.  _ So much for calling a car. _

_ "I can barely think straight. But thank you, love."  _ Though the anxiety hadn't passed, his tone was eased, just slightly.

"Call me if you need anything. Jared should be around too. I love you." Gladio let out a sigh, letting the phone click off once more as he composed a text while he picked up the pace to a jog. 

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 06:45   
you awake? I have a favor to ask. Call me when you're up.

It would be a plain miracle if Noctis was awake but he figured he'd try.

….

When Gladio finally arrived back at the manor Ignis was in the midst of cleaning up, the evidence of a cheesy massacre only remaining in the multiple yellowed washcloths lining the sink and the fact Ignis hadn't even had time to change his shirt. The faded green tee clearly had toddler sized handprints smeared across the stomach, though they had since mostly dried. 

Ignis was more than glad to have the Shield back, muttering that he had no idea how anyone managed to take care of a child and still work a full time job. 

"I just cleaned up after his breakfast, he's taking a nap, now, but I fear I'll have to think up lunch within the next hour." Ignis said this with a smile, though the two empty Ebony cans on the counter told another story.

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 06:45   
you awake? I have a favor to ask. Call me when you're up. **Today** 09:24   
am now forgot turn off alarm wuz up  
**Today** 09:25   
come to the manor tonight. Bring Prompto.  


"Let me try cooking lunch. You've done a lot already." Gladio set the box containing the highchair down and handed off the bag of cutlery. We can chance a quick shower?"

Ignis grunted as he pulled at the soiled shirt. "All right. I don't know how long three year olds nap, but…" but he was filthy and Gladio was sweaty. "I'm sorry about the stress. It's day one. I shouldn't expect things to be perfect. But maybe getting clean and putting on real clothes will put a fresh perspective…"

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 09:25   
come to the manor tonight. Bring Prompto.  
**Today** 09:30  
is there food or is this a trick to make me do stuff  
**Today** 09:31  
Iggy's cooking  


"And it looks like I've given us the night off. Noct's coming over to watch Griffin." Gladio chuckled, pushing Ignis out the door and towards the shower. He did send Jared a quick text telling him Griffin was down for a nap and they were showering. 

"What did you have planned? Throwing a party for your new position?" Ignis teased, showing no resistance. 

"New position? What as father?" Gladio barked a laugh, pulling at Ignis's clothing. 

"Mmhm." Ignis tugged back, playfully, though he was more than ready to be free of his crusty sleep clothes. "I hear it's a hell of a job. Good thing you won't be doing it alone."

"I'm the luckiest man on Eos." Gladio smirked, tossing Ignis's shirt in a pile of dirty clothing by the door. Gladio's mouth went to Ignis's throat, planting playful kisses from jaw to collar bone.

Ignis's hands moved under Gladio's shirt, slowly pushing it up to his chest. He gave a long hum, urging for his lover to lift his arms. "You keep that up and it won't be 'quick' at all."

"Hmm," Gladio smirked lifting his arms and letting his shirt be relieved from his person. "Well, I suppose 'quick' is in the eye of the beholder." Gladio quickly cornered Ignis, pushing him against the wall with a barrage of kisses. Gladio had learned that the one and only way to stop the quips was to otherwise occupy the blond's mouth, and he was very, very good at that. 

One hand tangled up in brown locks, Ignis reached blindly towards the shower, knowing that otherwise it might not go on at all. But it was secondary to his nibbles on Gladio's full lower lip, his now wet hand reaching down to untie his running pants. 

Gladio hummed into Ignis's mouth as his pants fell to the ground. His own fingers working at Ignis's as he kicked the discarded pants aside. "I do love a  _ hot _ shower after a long run."

Moments later there was nothing but skin. "Might want to check on that, if it's too hot you may burn." Clearly. If the hand inching up Gladio's inner thigh was any indication.

"Hmm," Gladio thought, stepping backwards into the hot water, hands never leaving Ignis's thin hips. "Maybe it makes me feel alive, a little pain, ya know." 

A grin wisped past Ignis's lips, evidence of a thought he chose not to vocalize. He pushed his lover further, past the spray of water, against the wall, purring as lips and teeth grazed Gladio's collarbone. His hand, not so delicately, meeting its goal.

Surprisingly, after a handful of extra minutes, they came out of the steamy waters clean and feeling far more relaxed than they had entered. Gladio wore a very proud smirk, as he moved over to the dresser. "So what's your plans for the day, Advisor?"

Ignis was only a step behind, though he moved instead to the closet to gather his clothes. "Plans? To be honest all the plans I did have were binned yesterday after Griffin came home. You're a father now, are you aloud to have plans?" 

Gladio fell silent, slipping his legs into his pants. "I dunno. Let's ask The Moogle." Gladio picked up his phone, a smirk on his face. After typing into the search bar, a comical list met his eyes. "So, there's a single parents shindig tonight at one of the bars downtown. 'Bring your kid'." Gladio chuckled, looking at Ignis. 

"Really." Shirt in hand, Ignis crossed his arms. "Well I suppose if that's what you want to do. But I'm afraid I don't fit the bill so you'll have to go alone." Scoffing, he remembered his half dressed state and started to pull his shirt on. "Maybe you'll find ' _ the one _ '."

"Nah," Gladio smirked “I think I already have found the one.” As he took a few steps towards Ignis, a soft knock came from the bedroom door. 

“Sir,” It was Jared. 

“Come in.” Gladio turned, retrieving the shirt off the dresser he’d abandoned in his teasing of Ignis. 

“Young master Griffin is awake.”

Ignis clicked his tongue. "How does one have time to do his hair with such a short sleep cycle?" He growled and moved back to the bathroom after collecting his glasses. 

"I'll take care of it. I'm already ready." Gladio opened the door to his bedroom with every intention of doing just that when he almost ran headlong into his father. "Uh-hey dad."

Riding atop Clarus's shoulder was Griffin, who let out a loud giggle as the door opened. "Figured this is where you'd be." He let out a loud laugh, which Griffin immediately parroted. "Got off at a reasonable hour, thought I'd come spend time with my boys! I brought cup noodles."

"Don't say that too loud or Ignis might get jealous!" Gladio smirked, seeing how his father acted with his kid. "He seems to like you."

"All kids like me." Clarus corrected. "Because I'm great. Let's go make those noodles in the kitchen, let Ignis be as jealous as he wants." He waved his son over with one large hand, the weight of the toddler not affecting his stride in the slightest.

"Jared tells me you're having some issues. So, what? Potty training probably? Food? Rules? Stuff like that? Need me to hire a specialist or a nanny? Can't handle the challenge?"

"He tried eating a packet of mac 'n cheese sauce for breakfast, he ain't potty trained and I think he has issues with human contact. Oh, and he doesn't know what cutlery is. Was this kid neglected?" Gladio followed a step behind his father, the giggling of Griffin easily leaving breadcrumbs for anyone who wanted to follow.

"I was afraid a’ that." Clarus admitted, with a sigh. "Between the name on the birth certificate and him not even  _ knowing  _ his name, that's kinda what it said to me too. Don't worry, the Citadel has great behavioral therapists and the Amicitia's are warm, loving people. He couldn't'a ended up anywhere better."

Clarus grinned, swinging the child around right as they reached Gladio's kitchen. "Just act like everything is new. He ain't stupid, don't listen to anyone who tells ya that, just no one taught him stuff, ya hear?"

"You hear that Griffin? Grandpa says you ain't stupid." Gladio smirked down at the little rag doll of a boy, who now that he was being held again looked around confused. "I picked up a highchair and some kiddy cutlery. Ignis said he was determined to eat on the floor with his hands. Ain't had time ta put it together, though."

Clarus grinned, taking the boy's hands and placing them where they were supposed to go. His hands then stuck like Velcro. "You liked to eat with your hands too, 'cept you liked to do it on the counter. Pissed off your mom. How bout I call Jared to cook those noodles. Then you two can play and I'll tackle that highchair."

"I'd probably still eat with my hands if it weren't for Ignis." Gladio laughed, grabbing Griffin's hand as he lead them to the adjoining living room. "Grandpa's gonna make up your chair and we're gonna play while we wait for lunch. How's that sound kiddo?"

"Grampa Noodle!" Came the next cry of joy. It caused Clarus to laugh, claiming that was the final affirmation the kid was an Amicitia.

"I think I'm gonna have to call you that from now on. Grandpa Noodle." Gladio grabbed one of the toy trucks on floor to grab Griffin's attention. 

The attention held for only a moment before Griffin started wandering off, back towards the kitchen. As he caught sight of Jared however, he stopped and pointed. "Uncle." When the older man laughed Griffin ducked into the kitchen and tried to open the fridge.

"Dude," Gladio chuckled grabbing the kid under the armpits. "Kids as fast as an anak!"

And the whimpering ensued. It was not screaming. Or crying, but most definitely whimpering, with peppered sounds that could only be described as 'um' or 'mum' and the occasional 'daddy' but nothing entirely intelligible. The longer Gladio held on the shallower the boy's breathing and faster his heart rate.

"Sir, what do you need me to do?" Jared offered, the noodles cooking on the countertop. 

"Griffin?" Gladio moved to set the boy on his knee. "Hey kid. Breathe." Gladio looked to Jared eyes wide. "I don't know what's wrong with him? He was fine a second ago."

Clarus moved into the kitchen, hearing the distress in Gladio's voice. Around that time Ignis also emerged from the bedroom. Clarus kneeled so they were eye level. "Hey kiddo. It's okay. What do you need? Somethin' outta the fridge?"

Griffin looked back at the fridge, his face turning bright red as though he were about to cry, though no tears made it past the rim of his eyes.

"I think he's used to just taking whatever he wants out of the fridge." Gladio looked up at his dad. "You thirsty? Uncle Jared is making lunch. Dad, we have juice boxes?"

Ignis had moved on to observe as Clarus scrambled to find something for the toddler to drink, though he managed not a juice box but apple juice in a sippy cup. "Looks like it's been interesting."

"Yeah. Dad's gonna look into getting a behavior specialist in. Seems like Griffin's got some behavior issues from his M-O-M." Gladio offered the cup to baby Griffin as he spoke. "You are looking better." 

"Because I finally finished  _ my  _ morning routine."

Just then there was a loud, high pitched humanoid sound as Griffin hurled his sippy cup, impressively far, across the room.

Gladio blinked, not fully comprehending exactly what happened. It seemed Clarus also wore the same exasperated look on his face. Jared, however, moved rather spryly for his age and retrieved the cup.

"What in the Six?" Gladio bounced Griffin in place which was received with giggles and happy screams.

"Definitely yours." Now that Ignis was over the momentary shock he was chuckling.

Jared returned the cup, smiling at the toddler, warmly. "Now master Griffin, the cup is for drinking, not throwing."

As though having a revelation, Griffin broke his gaze from Jared and back the cup returned to his hands. He, somehow, twisted and removed the top of the cup, dropping it off the floor. Then he seemed to find the cup drinkable and put it to his lips. However, the instant he did he frowned sharply, made an indignant grunt and hurled the lidless cup. 

"Why can't babies talk?" Gladio stood up, bringing Griffin with him. He continued to gawk at the mess on the floor. "He obviously wants liquid, but not in a sippy cup. So what?"

Clarus lifted a finger, passing by Jared as he quickly mopped up the spill with a washcloth. "You know that stupid saying about horses and water? Well I don't, but it might go something like this…" Clarus opened the fridge and looked back at his son. "Let loose the beast. Let's do this the easy way."

Gladio let out a sigh and shrugged as he let Griffin down. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

And Griffin immediately made a beeline for the fridge. He turned for the door, reaching and grabbing for a can of beer that sat in the rack. Clarus was quick to pluck away the can. "Okay, little man. That's not for kids."

Gladio chuckled, but Griffin wasn't done. He was in the fridge grabbing for anything can shaped. "You think he's looking for a beer?" 

"Hopefully he doesn't know the difference between soda and anything else in a can." Ignis suggested. This seemed to be confirmed when Griffin turned to look at him, a can of seltzer water being pried from his tiny fingers.

"He wants soda?" Gladio looked into the fridge trying to find anything that even remotely resembled a soda. "Who gives a toddler soda?"

"Yeah don't do that. That's how health issues happen." Clarus raised a brow and lifted Griffin from the fridge. "At most there's juices in cans to wean him back but I got a feeling sugar’s gonna be an issue with this one."

"Fortunately sugar on this floor is for baking." Ignis went to the fridge behind Gladio, who was still digging for cans. "Child locks, certainly. But what about getting him to drink?"

Clarus grinned. "Give me that seltzer water and apple juice."

It was easy to get everything together, and, with a smirk, Clarus poured a drink of one part apple juice with one part seltzer water. He looked mad scientist-esque as he did so. They handed the topless sippy cup to Griffin, all eyes expectantly waiting for the child's judgement. 

Griffin, as usual, was hyper aware when all eyes were on him, though he drank the juice without further incidence. A sigh of relief washed over the entire room. 

"See? He just wanted bubbles." And with that chapter closed Clarus went to the kitchen to gather the noodles… which had been done for quite a while. He planted them on the table. "I didn't finish that chair yet. One of you kids should probably just sit him on your lap."

....

By that evening, they had made an appointment with a behavioral therapist for the following morning and Griffin had managed to completely mess up Ignis's hair and shirt once more. However, Gladio planned on treating Ignis out, so by the time Noctis and Prompto arrived, they were dressed up and ready to leave. 

"Hey, come upstairs." Gladio shouted as Jared closed the door behind the boys.

Noctis, as usual, had taken the lead with a shrug toward his blond bestie and both boys casually made their way to the second floor. "Hey, where's the food? I don't smell anything cooking?"

"It's in the oven." Gladio opened the swinging door to his kitchen to reveal Ignis playing on the floor with Griffin. 

"Sonofabitch it's a trap." Were Noct's first words through the door. "I should have known since you're all dressed up."

"Language." Ignis's reprimand came, flatly.

The toddler looked up at the two young men with his usual blank curiosity. Immediately he pointed toward Prompto. "Uncle."

Gladio chuckled, walking up to Griffin and Ignis. "Iggy's got a lasagna cooking, there's a timer on the oven. Jared knows you two are here. There's cookies in the fridge on a pan. When you're ready for dessert, they bake at 350 for 17 minutes. Kid gets one. Don't burn the house down."

Gladio picked up the toddler gently, thanking the Six that they were both currently mess free, and placed him into Noctis's arms. "Griffin. Noctis and Prompto."

"Uncle Pom." Griffin repeated, then looked at Noctis, long and hard before tugging on his long fringe. "Pretty lady."

"Wait, what?" Noctis blinked, though as Ignis passed him by he pat him on the back. 

"Seems he likes you. You'll do fine. Diapers are in a bag in the living area." 

With a quick wave, Gladio and Ignis slipped through the doors, leaving them alone. 

Prompto smirked, turning to Noctis. "So what's the plan, pretty lady?"

"Screw you." Noctis stuck out his tongue. "He just doesn't know what to say encountering a man of my beauty. I mean you know who his dad is."

"Well, tell the munchkin here." Prompto chuckled, booping Griffin on the nose. "Video games? I heard Gladio got that new FPS I was looking at!"

That seemed to fix Noctis's mood and as Prompto went to set up the game Noctis positioned Griffin on the couch. From the corner of his eye he spotted a pair of sunglasses, sitting innocently on the side table. "Hey Prompto, I have an idea. You think Gladio has posted his kid on social media, yet?"

Prompto moved back to the couch, controllers in hand. "I dunno. Probably not. Why?"

"Let's inaugurate this bad boy." Noctis grabbed the sunglasses, propped them over Griffin's ears and quickly took a phone snap before the boy took the glasses off and decided to find out what happened if he snapped them in half. This, of course, Noctis ignored. "New kid in town, Griffin Amicitia, tearin’ it up here with me and bestie Prompto while dad's out on the town. Hashtag bestnewbud, hashtag futureshield, hashtag babyamicitia, hashtag gladiosbabyboyalreadyaladykiller."

"Haha. Gladio's gonna be pissed!" Prompto chuckled, bouncing excitedly on the couch as the game loaded up on the flat screen. "I'm pretty sure those were his favorite pair of sunglasses!"

"Well he shouldn't leave them lying around with a kid in the house." Honestly Noctis hadn't expected the child to destroy them. He'd just wanted the picture. "Yeah, I guess if I take anymore it'll be with less breakable props…." Noctis plopped on the couch and grabbed a controller. "We brought soda and snacks right? That lasagna still had forty on the timer."

"I didn't think about it. You said there'd be food." Prompto quickly plopped into the player one spot, vibrating with excitement. "Jared probably can go fetch some."

"Actually how bout you two play first and I'll go pop over and see if Iris has anything. She normally stashes some in her room so her dad doesn't know." Noct stood up and gave Prompto a salute. "Be right back."

Prompto shrugged letting the controller fall into Griffin's lap. "Just because you're a kid doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you!"

....

Gladio grabbed the door for Ignis as their driver pulled to the curb. Being an Amicitia had perks and he had been able to get a reservation at one of the top restaurants in Insomnia. 

Once Ignis was free of the car, Gladio offered his arm cheekily. "You ready?"

To which Ignis rolled his eyes, but played along, unable to keep the smirk from his face. "Of course. I wouldn't want to keep a lady waiting." 

Gladio returned the eye roll as they walked up to the steps of the restaurant where Gladio grabbed the door. Once inside, the hostess, without looking up, spoke to them. 

"Reservation?" Her blue eyes looked up, and the moment they met Gladio's, she swooned. "Omg, Mr. Amicitia. Of course. Oh, your son is so handsome! Come right this way!" 

Having already scooped up two menus, she began to float away. But not before Gladio looked over to Ignis, one eyebrow raised. "I didn't think anyone outside the Citadel knew about Griffin?"

Ignis shook his head. "You know I didn't say anything. Perhaps look to your sister or your father."

"Oh, you haven't seen the Prince's tweets?" The hostess turned as they took their seats. "When did you adopt?"

"Uh." Gladio sat down, grabbing his phone as he once again shot Ignis a look. "Yesterday."

The woman grinned and walked away, back to her station. Immediately Ignis had also whipped out his phone and was headed for social media. "Very unprofessional of her for a place of this caliber, don't you think?"

But he was already scrolling, having found the post, which had about thirty comments in the fifteen minutes it had been up. 

Gladio had already sent a text to Noctis. 

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 19:22  
how's Griffin?  
**Today** 19:23  
stop posting pictures of him on social media.  


Placing his phone down, Gladio sighed. "Hopefully that solves it."

"There seems to be an argument in the comments about whether he's yours or adopted because you're dating a man." Ignis scrolled further down. "Some think it's fake news. One person wants you to impregnate them…"

This pause was longer, however, and as Ignis's cheeks flushed bright red and he attempted to hide it behind a hand over his eyes. 

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 19:23  
stop posting pictures of him on social media.  
**Today** 19:25  
sorry already hit send before i read that. Last 1, promise  
o yeah, hes fine btw hyper as shit  
**Today** 19:30  
wat?  


"Can I get you something to drink?"

Gladio's phone went to Noctis's social media and his face mirrored Ignis's in a blush. Right on top, posted mere moments before his text to Noctis was a picture of Griffin in a pair of overly large red heels. "He. Did. Not." Gladio spoke under his breath.

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 19:25  
sorry already hit send before i read that. Last 1, promise  
o yeah, hes fine btw hyper as shit  
**Today** 19:30  
wat?  
**Today** 19:31  
UR DEAD  
**Today** 19:31  
wut? I thought you'd be more open minded than that. Just a joke  


Ignis had slapped his phone down and ordered their drinks for them. He barely had the wits to do so, but his unconscious mind was competent enough.

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 19:31  
wut? I thought you'd be more open minded than that. Just a joke  
**Today** 19:32  
you should tell yur sister not to leave her shoes in your room then. Btw your sister has huge feet, these don't even fit ME  


"This is going to be interesting..." Gladio huffed, looking across the table at Ignis. "Let's try to relax? Enjoy our meal? Maybe this was a bad idea?"

Ignis looked up at Gladio very seriously, his hands folded neatly in front of him. "If you would like to leave, we can. I'm not about to make you fret and worry all night. I will admit the photo was… embarrassing, but it's very likely no one will realize as much."

"No. I'm fine. Promise." Gladio smirked, deciding to push the incident to the back of his mind. "What's the special today?"

Ignis had yet to look at the menu and picked it up, even as his phone vibrated, face down on the table. If Gladio could press mute on the situation, so could he. "That's something to ask the waitstaff when he or she comes by."

"Indeed." Gladio smirked, staring at the man sitting across from him at the table. "Ya know something? You're pretty great. And I'm pretty lucky." 

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to  _ get  _ lucky, what with all of this." Ignis gestured to their surroundings, subtlety, a smile never moving from his lips, their eyes locked. "And with your sweet talk. But we both know that's unnecessary. I needn't remind you of our first date, and basically every date thereafter. That means it's a very effective form of bribery. What is it you want, Gladiolus Amicitia? Depending on your answer I may require a bit more ego fluffing."

"Ya know," Gladio smirked big, the warm charismatic smile of his. "I honestly ain't looking this time. I'm just tryin' ta make you remember why you love me. 'Cause after all, I didn't ask you if you were okay with all a’ this. But I'm glad you're sticking around 'cause you're one a the best things in my life and I'd be lost without you."

Ignis laughed and shook his head, propping his chin on his knuckles. "My memory is fine. You doing what's right regardless of the consequences is part of your charm. And I knew when I came into this who you were and that it would get me in trouble. But I was attracted to everything bright about you. And those things aren't going to go away because you have an unexpected child. In fact, I have a feeling it will be quite the opposite. And whatever happens, however you feel or don't feel for me a year from now, I know this was how it was supposed to be." 

The grin spread from ear to ear as the Shield listened to Ignis speak. "And, that's why you're the best and why I'm the luckiest man in Eos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness, who knew that Ignis liked to dress in woman's heels for Gladio? Well, now the whole world knows that those sexy stilettos exist! And did Noctis try them on ... Wonder what he'd look like in bright red heels...
> 
> I always love writing Noctis and Prompto together. After this one evening watching Griffin, Noctis vows he is gay and never going to have children much to Prompto's joy! While Promptis isn't the main here, their cute interactions makes me giggly and warm on the inside. 
> 
> We appreciate all kudos and respond to all comments. The next chapters are shorter, but full of many shenanigans.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shenanigans from the previous day continue as Ignis and Gladio learn how to live with a toddler. Between quack behavioral therapists to many many broken glasses, the stress increases, but they have as much fun as they can in the process.

Clarus had been true to his words and gotten Gladio several extra days off to help situate Griffin. However, Ignis hadn't been as lucky and the next morning they'd gone off, as a pseudo family. 

Griffin seemed completely unsure of how to deal with his new car seat and ended up napping on the short ride into the Citadel. 

As soon as they had parked Ignis had reverted to the stiff, businesslike persona he adopted whenever he was heading into a professional situation. Once the three of them had entered the main hall he turned, said his goodbyes and they parted ways. After all, dealing with the Citadel's child therapists was something only Gladio could do and Ignis already had hours of meetings ahead of him. 

The behavioral therapist’s office was on the same level as the daycare and by the time they had reached the office Griffin was squirming and complaining. Unsure of what was proper, Gladio knocked on the door.

A few moments later a middle aged man with glasses opened the door, greeting them with a warm smile. "You must be Gladiolus and Griffin. Come in, sit, play and tell me about what's going on."

Nodding, they entered, Gladio sitting Griffin down at a play table. "So, Griffin has some odd habits we think are stemming from potentially being neglected by his mom."

"And where is his mother, now?" The man asked, observing the child playing with the oversized building blocks on the table. "He looks a healthy weight and he's alert."

"She's in prison. Uh, I didn't even know about Griffin until then. But after she assaulted a member of the Crownesgaurd to threaten me so I'd marry her-don't you have his file? I thought my dad got you all that info?"

"The way you talk about it is important to your interactions with Griffin." The man pointed out. "If you aren't respectful, he will pick up on your negativity. He understands more than you think. Tell me what behaviors are concerning you."

"I got no bad feelings about Griff. And I slept with his mom once. She's unstable, but that ain't got nothing to do with Griffin 'cept for the fact she probably didn't love the kid. Which ain't fair to him." Gladio shifted, looking at Griffin who now seemed really intent on a book, but only the cover. "As for the behaviors, we've only had him for two days but it's been a challenge to get him to eat at a table and he all but refuses to use silverware. Oh, and the throwing things and breaking things."

And just as he spoke Griffin tore the cover of the book off with a satisfied expression on his face. "And he didn't have a name before yesterday either."

"Sometimes kids destroy to attempt for attention…" the psychiatrist only seemed mildly concerned for the book now in pieces. "But it could also be curiosity, or a myriad of social or psychological issues. Honestly none of these things particularly concern me. You are new to fatherhood and there's a good chance these things are normal for Griffin and that you simply are overexaggerating common problems."

"Alrighty." Gladio balled his fists as he stood up. "That was less informative than a Moogle search. Sorry we wasted your time." Gladio moved over to the boy who had proceeded to chew on one of the large wooden blocks. "Alright Griff. Let's go see if Grandpa Noodle is busy."

Griffin dropped the brick as if in understanding, though his arms still went limp the moment Gladio scooped him up. Protests from the doctor were ignored and within moments Gladio was at the end of a long hall waiting area while Clarus was pulled from the meeting he had been attending. 

"Thank the Gods." Clarus flipped one long gold and black sleeve, removing his ceremonial robes from the majority of his arms. "Those councilmen are the most boring, self important, humorless rods I have ever had the displeasure of tuning out." After a sigh, however, his expression had changed and a smile crept to his face. "How are my boys?"

"Griff's doing good. That behavioral therapist was a quack though. We walked out, isn't that right buddy." Gladio handed Griffin to Clarus, the kid giggling.

Clarus propped his grandson up onto a single forearm and then lifted the other, revealing a handled bag, which he handed over to Gladio. "Yeah. Frogging doctors. There's probably eight of them employed by the Crown. Just try another. I'll set up appointments over the next few days until you go back to work. Though, honestly, your Prince is already treating it like a blasted vacation."

"Of course he is. Sounds just like him." Gladio sighed peeking into the bag. "Were you hiding these in your robes the whole time?" Gladio smirked, pulling the shirts out. The first one being a tiny shirt labeled 'baby noodle' and two similarly sized shirts labeled 'papa noodle' and 'grandpa noodle'. 

"Of course not. I was keeping them behind Regis's chair. It's a great place to stash if you ever need to know. He doesn't mind." Clarus checked his phone with his free hand, making sure he didn't have any messages. "All right, anything you need? I've got a little leeway for a few minutes before this meeting ends."

"Uh," Gladio shifted back on his heels, looking at Griffin and Clarus. "Don't think so. We might go home and nap or something. Ignis is in meetings all day, Noctis is still asleep I'm sure of it. Maybe we'll go to a park?"

"Actually Prince Noctis is right in there." Clarus hitched a thumb back toward the door he'd exited from. "In the council room, right now. He's gotten himself in a little trouble with his father and he's being punished by having to be in meetings all day, too. Though your boyfriend is having a time  _ keeping  _ him from napping on the job."

Gladio chuckled, smirking at the picture. "What'd he do for such a royal punishment?" Gladio could only imagine the trouble he could have gotten himself into in a single day.

"I picked up this on my way back from coffee this morning." This time Clarus did shuffle in his robes, only to pull out a magazine. On the cover was a female celebrity, wearing the latest Insomnian summer fashion. But in the secondary headline was a picture of baby Griffin wearing Gladio's sunglasses, pulled directly from Noctis's social media. It read 'Baby Shield Cuteness Overload' in bold letters. "This one is tasteful and just gushes. You know, this kind of thing was bound to happen. But there were some not so savory ones. I couldn't get myself to shell out the yen to those trash rag slinging snakes to show you, but PR already has it in their hands. Before you go down to the park you should take a look."

Gladio grabbed the magazine and flipped through the pages until he found the article he was looking for. It was a quick read and all Gladio could do was shake his head. "That boy is gonna be the death of me. Ya know?"

"That's what it means to be Shield." Clarus bounced Griffin a few times, as Griffin seemed to get antsy, being held so long. "Check out the rag but don't stress. It's under control."

"You know I can handle myself. But thanks dad." It was then that the doors that Clarus himself came out of expelled the members of the meeting. "Seems like our time’s up."

….

After their meeting, Clarus texted names and times for two additional behavioral therapists in the citadel. The appointments were back to back, only thirty minutes apart, but were set for the evening so that Gladio would have time at the park with his son. 

Griffin acted like he'd never seen a playground before and took to the contraption with interest. It took only twenty minutes before someone approached the two of them playing, a young woman who Gladio didn't recognize.

"Are you here alone?" She asked warmly, smiling at little Griffin as well as Gladio. 

"Pretty lady!" Griffin proclaimed with a giggle, grabbing his dad's hands, playfully. 

"Yes, we're here alone. And yes, Griff. Pretty lady." Gladio hoisted the kid up, resting him against his hip and bringing him closer to the woman.

"If you'd like Griff could play with Isabella and the two of us could chat." She reached forwards and pet the young boys hair, which he seemed to enjoy.

Griffin glanced up at Gladio, curiously. "Mommy?"

"No, Griffin. Not mommy." Gladio sighed, shifting slightly as he made eye contact with the woman. "I'm not sure how good Griffin is with other children but we can see. How does that sound Griff?" 

"I like the park." He grinned, wrinkling his tiny nose. "Play more." Which was as close to an affirmation as anything. 

The woman smiled as she moved to collect her child, a small dirty blond girl with foggy blue eyes, probably a little younger than Griffin. "My name is Alexia."

"Gladiolus, although I figure you knew that." Gladio offered out his hand for a firm handshake. After they broke apart, Gladio set Griffin back down and squatted down to his level. 

"Hey big guy, play good I'll be right over there." Gladio pointed at a currently unoccupied bench just feet from them. "You need anything come get me. Kay bud?" 

Once the children were sufficiently occupied Gladio and Alexia moved to the empty bench, where the woman crossed her legs and pointed herself toward the Shield. "It must be hard being a single father with a job like yours. I couldn't imagine what it would be like raising Isa without working from home."

"Oh," Gladio raised an eyebrow realizing where the conversation was headed. "I have a lot of support. My dad has been really happy being a grandpa, and my boyfriend is super supportive. And, ya know the Citadel has a stellar kids program."

"Boyfriend?" The woman seemed mildly shocked as she glanced up at the children playing. "I thought that was just tabloid fodder considering, you know, your son and all. So you mean the blurry photo from the citadel gardens was real?"

"Well," Gladio hadn't ever seen those photos but he'd heard of them. "Yeah. I've been dating Ignis for three years now. You said you take care of Isabella all by yourself?" 

Alexia flustered just slightly as though her train of thought had been disrupted. "Um yes. For about a year, now. But I actually write cooking articles for a magazine so it's easy enough. But it would really be nice for Isabella to have a strong male influence growing up." She blushed and looked away. "I throw parties for single parents every week…. If you're ever interested."

"I'll keep that in mind. I know some single dad Crownsguard too, if you wanted me to pass along the message." Gladiolus smiled, big and warm. He had been very charismatic with the ladies in the prime of dating. But, if Gladiolus had mastered anything in the last three years, it was the art of the gentle let down. 

And on the bright side, it looked as though Griffin was doing just fine playing with another child. They had moved to making a sand castle together, and just as Gladio looked up Griffin had decided to give little Isabella a kiss.

****

It was much later than Gladio expected by the time they made it back to the manor, and by all means, it had been more exhausting than a work day. The smell of Ignis's cooking filled the entrance hall and Gladio's stomach growled angrily in response. Griffin, on the other hand, was napping on his dad's chest, hands balling the fabric .

Gladio made it into his living quarters before Griffin awoke, smiling bright as he was placed on the ground. Immediately he bolted to the TV and started messing with the game system, to which Gladio let out a long sigh. "He never stops moving!"

"That means he'll sleep well." Ignis hummed from the kitchen, and as the oven door closed Ignis emerged, still temporarily wearing his apron. "You look exhausted. And here I thought I had a long day keeping the Prince awake."

"I'll trade you any day. Exhausted is an understatement." Gladio moved in to grab Ignis around the waist, pulling him into a kiss. 

A hand ran down Gladio's arm as the kiss separated and Ignis jerked away. It was startling until he realized Ignis had swooped in and just narrowly rescued a game controller from its untimely demise. "Griffin, you're too small for that. The gaming system should be put away in its proper place."

Griffin screamed as the system was hidden higher and out of reach. "Nice save. Wonder why he thinks he can play with that?"

"I have my theories." Ignis said, coldly. He then lowered himself to floor level to placate the boy. "A certain someone who shan't be named who claims that watching your son was the hardest thing he's ever had to do."

Gladio laughed, big and full as he watched his boyfriend and son interact. "Yeah. He's a handful alright. But I don't think he's that bad? I dunno. After being asked out on two separate dates today I'm exhausted."

"On dates?" Ignis looked up, though his hands remained intertwined with Griffin's. "That hasn't happened in a while. I was under the impression you being off the market was public knowledge."

"Apparently people are under the impression that I'm a single father." Gladio watched the expression on Ignis's face. "I heard that there was a picture of us in the gardens in some tabloid and no one seems to believe it's real."

"If no one brought it up to us, it must have been mild, unlike the one on the counter." Ignis's face didn't read concern, though. "I'm sure you heard. And I'm sure Clarus showed you the other magazine. Some beauty magazine, I believe. That's the culprit calling you a single father."

"Yeah. I got that one. Haven't had time to look for the other one." Gladio moved to the counter picking up the Insomnian Chatter and chuckled at the picture on its cover. The picture of Griffin in Ignis's high heels was the cover and the article was labeled 'Griffin Amicitia: new shield training includes cross dressing?'

Ignis carried Griffin, where he excitedly pointed to himself on the paper. 

"The council has deemed no harm done." Ignis smiled, briefly. "Though it was  _ advised  _ we discreetly dispose of that particular pair of heels. Worst thing to come of this is that the council thinks one of us," he rolled his eyes, "dresses as a woman in his spare time."

"Only in my bedroom. Damn. You were hot in those heels." Gladio chuckled flipping to the main article slandering him and baby Griffin. It was a quick read and Gladio couldn't help but laugh. "We should keep this to embarrass him later."

"Be my guest. Either that or it went in the bin. But it would be good to show his friends when he's a teenager." Ignis teased, sitting Griffin down and going to get him some juice from the fridge. "By the way, I haven't seen my spare pair of glasses since those two babysat. Forgot to ask about it."

"And my sunglasses are gone too. The ones in the picture. I can only guess who's to blame." Gladio's hand went to his temple. "I'll text Noct."

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 18:33  
you seen Iggy's glasses?  
aren't they on his face? Were earlier  
his spare pair ...  
**Today** 18:34  
or my sunglasses  
o ya those broke  
**Today** 18:35  
excuse me?  


"I'm gonna kill the Prince. Is that, like, treason you think?" Gladio huffed, placing the phone down.

"Quite possibly." Ignis raised a brow, now settled comfortably at the table with Griffin, who still didn't like his chair. "Though regicide is certainly illegal."

Sleepy Prince  
  
**Today** 18:36  
hey your kid broke them not me  


"Yeah. Even if he's asking for it, hard." Gladio glanced into the small kitchen and smirked. "What's for dinner? We still got beer or did tweedle dee and tweedle dumb drink them, yesterday?"

"I threw something together with the vegetables and potatoes we had left. I can go shopping tomorrow on my midday break if you'd like. As for beer, there's a couple of the bottles left. Seems they didn't want to expend the effort to find an opener." Ignis paused when Griffin yet again refused his juice. 

What he didn't expect was the toddler reaching up and pulling the glasses off his face. "No! Uncle Igky gross!"

Gladio had started to stand up when Griffin spoke, and just about doubled over in laughter at the kids response. "Uncle Icky?"

"Honestly! That is not funny, Gladio. I'm not getting stuck with  _ that  _ nickname!" 

After a few moments of hysterics, Gladio stood up, the biggest smile on his lips. "We got more errands to do tomorrow. We can go shopping after the park. Right Griff?"

With an enthusiastic nod and happy squeak the glasses in hand were snapped in half. No words, Ignis drained to a pale shade of white.

"Oh Griffin. No. We don't do that." Gladio sighed, rubbing at his temples. "I think we know what happened to your spare pair of glasses..."

"It's quite alright." Or at least Ignis was faking it pretty well. "I will just… have to acquire some new ones, tomorrow. It's a good thing my vision isn't all that bad. But I think it needs to be firmly stated that you don't break other people's things." Standing from the table, Ignis took a deep breath and crossed the distance to the oven to check on the food. 

"If I can ever find a behavior therapist we can talk about this." Gladio, finally giving up, wandered to the fridge and popped open a beer 

"Nothing we can't try to handle. Though I can't really attest to my skills in this department." Ignis sighed, there was still time left on the bake and Griffin was getting agitated with the lack of fizz in his juice, though they were out of carbonated water and in dire need of a shopping trip. "After all, I was practically a mother figure to Noctis, and you see how well he turned out…"

"Well," Gladio returned to sit back at the table. "I don't think you did terrible. Besides his knack for naps he's a good kid."

"He's incredibly immature and a little spoiled." Though that was about the extent of how badly Ignis would ever speak of his Prince. Ignis took a few steps from the kitchen so that his voice wouldn't get lost. Griffin seemed to have given up complaining and was now silently staring at his juice cup. "You've said so, yourself. Time and again. And maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but I absolutely cannot fail. That would mean betraying your trust. It's not an option." 

"You won't fail, Iggy." Gladio smiled at the other man. "And besides. Neither of us are alone in this." 

"That's the idea." Ignis reached over Griffin, gently moving his hair from his face and scooting the juice back towards him for one final try. It was almost amazing how both of them could ignore a tantruming child. Must be all the time spent with Noctis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought the little interactions at the park were HYSTERICAL! Not only did Baby Griff kiss a girl 'art of the gentle let down' seriously killed me. I hope you enjoyed this too, because everyone needs cute domestic fluff in their life? Right?
> 
> We appreaciate all comments and kudos and hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as we did!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard being a single father even when you have a boyfriend that is really good with your kid. Ignis has been nothing but supportive, but it's obvious that the world is against him. When he isn't allowed to pick up Gladio's kid from Daycare, not only is Ignis extremely distraught, Gladio starts to plot a way around the rules. Also, did you know that if you have wings it means you can fly?

"Hey, Iggy." Gladio walked in, rubbing a towel into his wet hair. Having just gotten back from his run and shower. "You, uh- leave a couple cans of ebony on the table?"

Ignis and Griffin were both in the kitchen and immediately Gladio heard a loud metallic clang. "Ugh, how did you even get up there? Stop!"

"What are you-" Gladio moved into the kitchen to see Ignis grabbing Griffin from the countertop where it appeared he was trying to get hold of the pots and pans. "What is he doing up there?"

"I can't keep him in place!" The moment Ignis had the boy over his shoulder Griffin started to flail and squeal. Ignis nearly lost his balance before planting his back leg. "Griffin, what is the matter with you?"

"Did he?" Gladio turned back towards the table where the cans sat askew. Initially Gladio believed the ebony was full. "I think he's caffeinated. Balls to the wall ..."

"How?" Griffin was pulled over Ignis's shoulder so that his chest was against the boys back. The giggles at least expressed this hyperactivity was far from a tantrum. "After the incident with the cans on day one I stashed all the Ebony on the top shelf, behind everything!"

"I don't know." Gladio moved to his boys, reaching out to Griffin. "Unless you downed two cans. Griff, you get thirsty this morning? You drink Uncle Iggy's drink?"

Griffin had wiggled out of Ignis's grasp, only to fling himself onto Gladio's leg. "Uncle Igky drink gross." He sputtered. "No more drinks. It's eeeeeempty!"

"Oh boy kid. You're a handful. No more uncle Iggy drinks. Kay?" Gladio turned to Ignis. "We need baby locks." 

"I'll add it to the shopping list." Ignis muttered. "And I suppose we don't keep anything in a can until we figure this out. I hope hyperactivity is the worst that happens after that much caffeine..."

"Yeah. Today's gonna be a handful." Gladio sighed. And it was his last day off, too. 

"If you don't mind going shopping, it might burn out some of that extra energy to be in public." Ignis checked his phone. Instantly his expression cooled and neutralized. "Hold onto him so I can actually cook you two some breakfast before I have to leave for work. I've twenty six minutes before I will be running late."

"Alright. Do it Papa Iggy." Gladio smirked as he grabbed Griffin and they wandered into the dining room. 

****

Raising a child was one of the most difficult tasks ever set to by Gladio and it was certain that without Ignis he would fail. Every hard day and every slip, he was there to hold the Shield up. 

It even seemed that after several months of different therapists and hours and hours of work that everything was looking brighter. Griffin was even starting to settle into some semblance of a routine. 

Gladio got up a little earlier for his runs. Ignis learned how to handle his hairstyles being ruined and in fact started to wear his hair in a simpler style on busy days. He even started wearing it down on his days off.

So when the day came around and Ignis finished work early and wanted to pick up little Griffin, Gladio saw no issue in that. Of course, Ignis had been left to watch Griff alone plenty of times. What he wasn't expecting was a phone call only five minutes later. "I'll be right down."

"I'm sorry." The woman in front of the daycare held a clipboard in one hand and the other up to her temple in a sign of obvious exasperation. "You will have to wait until his father arrives. No exceptions."

There was a hint of color in Ignis's face that wasn't normally there as well as a stern frown. Otherwise the tight cross of his arms over his chest and the sharp pop of his left hip seemed entirely as normal. He didn't even move his eyes to the side as Gladio approached. 

It was only moments later that a slightly winded Gladio showed up, concern etched into his face as he approached. "Is everything okay?"

But it wasn't Ignis who responded first. "Mr. Amicitia." There was a small smile on the attendant’s face as she tried to grab Gladio's attention. Instead Gladio tossed his hand up, silencing her as he waited for Ignis's response.

When eventually Ignis's bespectacled eyes shifted he uncrossed his arms and planted them on his hips, trying to suppress and mellow previous emotions that were earlier threatening him.

"She is not allowing the release of your son. Not to me." It was all he could say without the walled emotions peeking through. 

The woman sighed. "Parents, guardians, immediate family and licensed child caretakers are the only ones authorized to remove a child from our care."

"Where's my list of authorized 'guardians', because I swear to the gods of you pulled me out of a royal meeting to pick up my son and hand him to my boyfriend  **in front of you** , I will be having a meeting with the King about your job." Gladio clenched his fists at his side, subduing the rage bubbling inside him. 

The look that the woman shot back proved she was in fact  _ not  _ scared of Gladio, or any other Crownsguard. She moved back, behind a raised desk and fetched a printout of said list. She handed it to him briskly, traces of smile gone. "We do not allow boyfriends or girlfriends access per policy. These relationships are seen as potentially hazardous."

"How about advisors to the Prince? Do you fucking know who Ignis is?" Gladio grabbed the paper, eyes moving from the girl to the page. "Fucking Noctis can pick up Griffin but  **MY BOYFRIEND CAN'T?!** You've got to be kidding me. Noctis is under royal decree to  _ not _ watch Griffin. But Ignis can't even pick him up?"

"Yes. That's what I'm telling you. You can apply for a childcare licence after required classes and tests. My hands are tied. Though Mr. Amicitia you may still check out your child if you wish." Deadpan, the attendant handed Gladio a clipboard. "Unless you aren't done arguing." 

It was at that moment that Gladio’s phone buzzed. Snatching the clipboard, the Shield started signing as he fished the phone from his pants. “Fucking robes and their not pockets.” And of course, a text from Noctis.

Sleepy Prince  
  
everyone's waiting on you bro  


Once the clipboard was in Gladio's grasp the attendant did, in fact, head back into the daycare to retrieve Griffin. 

"Gladio. It's okay. It's politics. If I couldn't get through on my own abilities, there was no other way than to get a hold of you." Ignis had been mostly quiet through the argument because he'd already tried. Repeatedly. "I'm sure they have their reasons for being so strict."

Sleepy Prince  
  
everyone's waiting on you bro  
unreasonable daycare lady won't give Griff to Iggy ...  


"I'm gonna make this right Iggy." Gladio huffed, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "Fucking King’s waitin for me. Ugh."

"It's something better to find out now rather than an emergency." Ignis conceded, finally losing a bit of the rigid edge he'd been holding onto while the argument had been ongoing. "Sorry to pull you from work. I'll look into that licence so that it doesn't happen again. I can probably try the classes in the evenings or see what strings His Majesty will let me pull."

"Let me talk with the King." Gladio turned away from the desk, gently placing his hand on the side of Ignis's face. Their locked eyes for just a moment and all the rage bled out. 

The sound of a woman clearing her voice drew their eyes away and immediately Griff called out. "Dada! Uncle Igky!"

The attendant moved to take the clipboard, checking the signature as Griffin was led out by the hand. "Here you are. Have a nice day." 

Ignis watched the woman recede back into the daycare area, blankly. "I can't believe neither of us were a match for her."

"It _would_ _be_ a woman that defeated us, wouldn't it?" Gladio smirked, transferring Griffin's hand to Ignis. "I'll be off soon. We can go to the park when we're done, if Iggy thinks you behaved, before we have dinner. How's that sound, champ?"

Griffin grinned wide enough that his eyes closed and he gave a small laugh. 

"Get back before Noctis dies of boredom." Ignis urged. "Yesterday we counted to ten solidly, so today we are going to start learning math at the grocery store." Ignis had officially pushed the incident with the attendant under the carpet and refocused entirely.

"Oh, good going Griff!" Gladio smiled, kissing Ignis and ruffling Griffin's hair before turning. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." 

"Get back to work, Mr. Flattery. Some of us have shopping to do." Knowing Gladio didn't see the eye roll Ignis lead Griffin away, catching eyes with the attendant silently as the two of them walked back towards the elevators. 

****

Gladio sat with his head in his hands, elbows digging into his knees. He had left work early after he'd received a call from the daycare: this was becoming a trend. How did most parents deal with this?

It wasn't long before the doctor returned with Griffin, wearing a blue cast on his arm. Even though it couldn't be painless, Griffin walked in with a huge grin on his face. "Dada! Blue Dada!"

"It seems your son felt he could fly." The doctor shook his head. "From what I was told he climbed up on cabinets and took a leap."

"I flyed. Like dada!" Griffin beamed, flapping his cast like a wing.

The doctor was patient, and led Griffin to his father without hurry. "You may want to keep him at home for a day or two, if possible. But definitely curb the flying."

"Flying? Hey Griff," Gladio reached down and placed his hands under the little boys armpits. "You can't fly kid. Why you saying daddy can fly? I can't fly."

"Wings!" Griffin tugged at his father's sleeve, since currently he couldn't see the tattoos underneath. "Dada has wings. Wings for flying!" He tried to flap his arms again, though this time he started getting frustrated at the cast that was impeding his range of motion. 

“Oh, Griffin.” Gladio actually laughed, as he stood, and nodded to the doctor who was now writing a script and making them a follow up appointment. “You will get your wings when you’re bigger. Just like Dada and Grandpa Noodle. Has Grandpa shown you his wings? You know you can’t fly without them.”

With glassy eyes, Griffin absorbed the information, though obviously didn’t quite know what to do with it. The boy tilted his head. “I’m big.” As though it was the sort of argument that was impenetrable. “Cup Noodle makes me big.”

“I really hope he didn’t just say what I thought he said.” Ignis was adjusting his cuffs as he approached, a stern look still painted across his face. “I got your text. Fortunately it was a meeting that I could dictate cutting short. What’s-oh....”

Gladio chuckled, looking at Ignis with a half smile as they wandered from the physician's station. “Uh, yeah. I am guessing that came from Grandpa. As for the arm, Griff thought he could fly like me and dad.” Gladio looked at Griffin as he continued, “You gotta be at least as big as Uncle Prom before you’re big enough to fly. Got it Griff?”

"Uncle Prom is baby…" Griffin huffed, gripping his father's clothes. "Lady Nocty is baby too. I want to be big like dada."

Ignis turned, crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "That's not unlikely. Gladio, are you done with work for the day? If not I can proposition the King to let you take the rest of the day to take care of Griffin."

“I had to leave work early. I am sure he’ll understand. I’m gonna have to take more time off ‘cause of this kid too.” Gladio sighed, shifting the boys weight around as they moved to the mezzanine in front of the elevators. “Dude, kids are exhausting and a ton a’ trouble. Cut from my cloth for sure.” 

“Most definitely. But as you said before, it was always an inevitability.” Ignis couldn’t help but smile momentarily as he watched Gladio move the boy across his shoulders, playfully. Ignis noted that Gladio was still being careful with the boy’s cast. In fact he was surprised the Shield had not gotten more angry about his son coming back to him, broken. “It’s good they are working with you. Had they not let you out of work we would have had another issue like the one at the daycare, wouldn’t we?”

“Unfortunately.” Gladio frowned, looking down to his feet. "What're your days off this week again?"

"They're posted on the calendar, on the fridge, as always." Ignis had started to keep a physical calendar in the kitchen shortly after moving in, and had tried repeatedly to get Gladio in the habit of using it, as well. "The thing you look at when you go for a beer?" There was a sharp sigh and Ignis looked back at little Griffin. "I have an hour before my next appointment, I can cancel if you need help. But after that I'm planning the ball for King Regis's birthday so I won't be able to get away for a few days."

"I'll take a look when we get home. No need to cancel unless you want to. Not sure how to take care of a kid who's got a broken arm. But Doc gave us a script for meds, right Griff." Gladio smirked, watching the softness in Ignis's expression. 

"If nothing else I can drive you back. He may act like nothing is wrong now but he does need supervision to make sure he doesn't make it worse." Ignis had not taken care of a child with a broken arm, either, and the lost feeling was redirecting to his phone, where he started researching, even as they walked. When he looked up, he caught Gladio's gaze.

"Go to the park." Griffin suggested, in his usual manner.

"No Griff. No park today." The elevator dinged just as Griffin started hollering about not getting his way. "Well, I think I can handle Sir-squirms-a-lot for a couple of days. Do we have a sitter for the night of the Ball? I'm sure I'm required to attend with His Royal Sleepiness."

Ignis nodded. “As am I, of course. I was going to ask your sister, but as it turns out she’s attending as well. Do you think Jared is capable of dealing with Griffin’s shenanigans, unaided?” Sometimes Ignis even wondered if  _ he  _ was capable. On a bad day the boy could be a force of nature. Granted, most days he was actually growing to be a very well behaved child. “He’s becoming more like you every day, including getting stronger. And Jared is getting old.” 

“I’ll hire one of the Citadel approved caretakers. I know Jared was able to handle me  _ and _ my dad but yeah, he’s getting old.” Gladio moved close to Ignis as the elevator jostled downwards, placing a kiss on the advisor’s forehead. “Hey Griff. Want lunch with your dads?” 

“I want cheese noodles!” Griffin grinned, immediately forgetting about not being allowed to go to the park. He went to testing the stability of his cast by whacking it on the nearest surface that wasn’t his father. When it neither broke nor scuffed he giggled. “Or ‘mato noodles!”

The advisor laughed, knowing grown men to act more like babies over broken bones than this three year old. “It must be an Amicitia trait, noodle addiction.” 

“That and our hard headedness. I saw a new noodle shop just open up. Seems like as good a time as any to try her out.” Gladio lead the way out as the doors reopened for them. “Unless Iggy has a better idea?” 

Ignis tipped his head and waved his hand. “As long as it’s not too far, that’s fine. Though I’ll be surprised if the noodles he wants are on the menu. It may be an adventure for all of us.” 

“Isn’t every day?” Gladio chuckled. “But you wouldn’t have it any other way, I hope?”

****

The entire lounge area had been transformed and almost looked like a different room. Drapes had sectioned off the kitchen from the living area, leaving the dining space in its own isolated space.The table was dressed in a black cloth, covering the worn table underneath. The plates and silverware were properly set for three, well, two and a half. Candles and roses sat on the table, and as Griffin proceeded to slam every toy in reach against his cast, Gladio waited, dressed in a freshly pressed dress suit. 

Keys hit the lock precisely at 18:45 and within moments Ignis had removed his jacket and shoes. It wasn’t until he’d hung his keys that he noticed the drapery and Gladio, standing a few feet off to the side. “Apologies...” He looked the tall man up and down and his mind immediately started racing. It had been a particularly busy few days, and with the King’s birthday only a day away he’d had very little time to relax or collect his thoughts. “Did I... forget something important?” 

“No.” Gladio smiled, always feeling odd in formal clothing. “I just know how hard you’ve had it and, uh, we got bored. Right Griff? I hired a chief so you wouldn’t have to cook and well, we have a surprise. If you’re up for it, ya know?”

“You hired a chef because you were bored?” Ignis raised a brow. Normally he wouldn’t buy such an excuse, but it  _ was _ Gladio. Sometimes he did things that didn’t make sense at first glance. 

From the partitioned room Griffin could be heard clinking silverware together, as though the sound was some sort of primitive music. 

“Uh-” Gladio looked back at the curtain. “I mean, I made all this up and got all dressed up cause-” Gladio stopped, knowing that if he didn’t he was gonna be putting his foot in his mouth, soon. “Just, come on. You’ll enjoy it, I hope. It’s a surprise. Surprise.” 

Griffin called out from behind the curtain “SURPRISE PAPA IGKY! SURPRISE!”

“That’s new. Did you teach him that?” Ignis gave a smile smile, only internally lamenting the fact the boy was still calling him ‘Icky’ after several months of trying to un-teach him the habit. Gladio turned pink around the cheeks, trying his best to shift and avoid eye contact.

He followed Gladio past the curtain divider and took a long moment to admire the fact that yes, Gladio had in fact put time and effort into this, taking a corner of their small living space to create an atmosphere. All that was missing was the soft Altissian jazz music and a proper view. 

“I uh, don’t know what your talking about.” Gladio shot Giffin a look which was only met by a squeal as the kid went back to smacking a butter knife against his cast in a rhythmic fashion.

Gladio pulled the chair out for Ignis, letting him sit down and moving to his own seat as Jared entered. “Sirs. A fine Altissian wine pulled from the cellars. I believe this wine is as old as I am.” The old butler uncorked the wine before filling the glasses half full and setting the bottle onto the table. 

There was a pause and Ignis moved his eyes to Gladio. “Isn’t this a little much? Normally your father would have your head for touching the older wines.” At that point, however, he reached over to Griffin, removing the knife from his grasp and replacing it with a spoon. “And you are not ready for knives.” 

“Uh,” Gladio kept his eyes on Griffin, hoping to the gods that his son could remember what they practiced. “Yeah, dad said it was cool. One bottle. Ya know. Nothin’ big.” 

“Will you be my Papa, Igky?” Griffin beamed, and Gladio’s face flashed bright red as he abruptly stood up. 

“Oh, never mind him Ignis. You know kids and their uh-” Gladio’s hand moved to his pocket nervously, as he tried to retake his seat. 

Something flashed over Ignis’s face before he smothered it, letting his eyes fall back, neutrally to the table. “It’s quite alright. No harm. Where’s this fancy dinner you promised? You know, so I can take notes?”

Gladio tried to smother the blush on his face, and as he fumbled to find words, someone else spoke. 

“You could ask the chef himself.” Weskham smirked as he carried in two covered plates, placing them down in front of the two. “You know I don’t have a reputation for nothing. That King was a fine picky one in his youth.”

Perhaps a little struck, Ignis had no words. Instead he righted his posture and placed his hands respectfully in his lap. Of course Griffin was not so polite, and as he watched the two plates go down he tried to reach up and hit them with his musical spoon. 

"Oh relax, kid. We're not here to be formal. That's for tomorrow. Enjoy your food." Weskham bowed his head slightly as Jared brought in Griffin's food. 

They both departed before Gladio said another word. "Hope it's okay? Thought it was a once in a lifetime chance ta have Weskham cook for us."

“Probably close to the truth. Though it’s likely Noct’s wedding will also take place in Altissia.” Though Ignis could think of several other reasons, all of which  _ also _ involved traveling to Altissia. “He’s only here for two days, after all. I have his itinerary. It was very thoughtful of you.” 

“I know.” Gladio beamed, feeling the nerves settle in his stomach. “I kinda peeked at your work when you went to shower. He said it would be a pleasure to cook for me, especially considering-” Gladio cut off, and instead decided to put the wine to his lips, and stare down at the appetizer he’d been given. A small piece of meat wrapped in bacon along with a caprese salad. “How was work?”

Stalling. Ignis chuckled and hid a smirk behind his own glass. “Oh, you know how those Caelums can be...”

“Papa Igky, say yes.” Griffin interrupted, all the while trying to reach onto Ignis’s plate for the bacon. His arm was not quite long enough, of course, but he was trying. 

“Hey, Iggy.” Every time Griffin opened his mouth, a blush ran rampant across Gladio’s face. “How long have we been together? What, almost four years now?” 

“Three years, eight months.” Ignis didn’t hesitate with the number. He was rather good with dates. He moved to the food, figuring it would be rude not to eat, regardless of the butterflies floating all around Gladio’s person. “About a month more than Griffin’s been alive.” 

Gladio nodded, taking a large drink from his glass. As he set the drink down, he reached into his pocket, and grabbed a small black box. One long breath escaped his lips, and he stood once again. But he didn’t remain standing as he got down onto one knee and opened the box. “You, uh, think you could maybe make that longer? Ignis, will you marry me?”

“Say yes, Papa Igky!”

The shake of his head was not so much Ignis’s answer as his reaction to how absolutely Gladio this entire experience had become, both in the successes and failures. The grin was unmoving, even as he chuckled under his breath, opened his eyes and looked directly at his partner. “Of course. As if there was ever a question.”

A broad smirk crossed Gladio's face as he took the ring out of the box and grabbed Ignis's hand. At this point, both Jared and Weskham had rejoined and were standing behind Ignis with a smile. He slipped the simple gold band onto Ignis’s finger, of course it was a perfect fit, and immediately the other two began a slow clap. Ignis wasn’t used to the extra attention, and until the clapping stopped he remained silent, his hand clasped within Gladio’s. 

"Congratulations. And we haven't even made it to the second course" Weskham smirked before disappearing back behind the curtain. Jared followed immediately after, allowing the three boys their privacy.

"So, yeah. Griff kinda spoiled it, didn't he?" Gladio stood before returning to his seat, the wide smile firmly planted on his lips. All nerves completely gone. 

"It doesn't have to be perfect." Ignis gave a smile, crossing his legs under the table, as per his usual. "After all I'm sitting here in my work clothes and socks. I truly, and wholeheartedly appreciate it. It's exactly what I was talking about, back when you asked me to stay with you. If anything I'm the lucky one. Do you remember when I asked you what would have happened to us if Griffin hadn't appeared out of the blue like he did?" 

“Yeah. I remember.” Gladio took a sip of the wine, finishing off the food on his plate now that there wasn’t butterflies occupying the space in his gut. 

“Well, I figured out pretty immediately after our conversation that day. You would have had to get married, have an heir. Two years, five, ten... at some point I would have had to step aside and let you take a wife.” Ignis paused, sighed, his eyes darting across the table the only indication that the words bothered him, at all. “While at first I was hesitant about raising a child, I understand now that Griffin here is the only reason I’m able to keep you. I will never take that for granted.”

“Ignis.” Gladio looked at his lover, his fiancee, and smiled. He was, of course, always right. No matter how painful it would have been, Ignis would have even been the one to suggest it. It would have hurt, stung and would have destroyed them. But now, now it didn’t have to. “You have been, and will always be one of the greatest things about my life. I’m glad Griff came about. Because that means I get to keep you. And now, you can pick him up from daycare.”

A sharp laugh was stifled only by the drapery around them, though it did little but cause Griffin to try to imitate Ignis. Much like a high pitched, human parrot. “So that’s what this is really about? I thought so.” Ignis teased, finally conceding and handing the last of his bacon to an eager Griffin.

“Hey. That is not what I said.” Gladio tilted his head at the other. “And you know it. But, it is a perk. Ya know. You are raising him just as much as me. And, I-uh, don’t want that role to be filled with anyone else.”

“Well, no worries then.” The smirk on Ignis’s face didn’t move, even as Weskham appeared with the next part of their meal. “You have effectively hooked your talons.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Weskham showing up for the proposal is just perfect. We do have just one more ish chapter to go and that is the epilogue. It was so fun to write this story, and we are so glad that you stuck around with us for it! It also did spur a second fiction where we twisted the scenario on its head. I hope it is as readily received as this one was! 
> 
> We appreciate all comments and kudos and do our best to respond to them all! Thank you so much for your support and love!


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty years after the Proposal, Griffin and Gladio have a chat about the state of the world. Be prepared for the feels.

_ Twenty years later _

Gladio reclined in his chair overlooking the fields of the Amicitia manor. A cold, fresh squeezed lemonade was clutched in his hands as the intense Lucian summer sun beat down on the green grass. A loud squeal came from the sparring pit, as Griffin talked down to the Prince, only ten years of age. Leor sat on his butt, staring at his Shield, arms crossed. 

After a moment, Leor stood, and ran off towards the back of the property, and disappeared over the hill. Gladio knew exactly where the boy was headed, and with both Noctis and Prompto at the stables, little Leor was sure to be grabbing his chocobo. The stables had been added to the back of the property shortly after the ten years of darkness and Ardyn’s defeat. 

It took only moments for Griffin to come up from the training ground, beads of sweat trailing down his body. He really was a mirror of his father, except his eagle did not encompass as much of his body as Gladio’s. Instead the boy had taken the same approach as Clarus had, the wings barely reaching his elbows. 

“Kid giving you trouble?” Gladio spoke, gesturing to the iced drink and empty seat. 

For a moment the younger Amicitia sighed, trying to wrap his head around his words. He kept his eyes down until the final moment, when amber eyes shifted up to meet their match. "That kid is gonna snap in half if he doesn't cry himself to death first."

"Oh hush, you." Gladio laughed, watching his son. "He'll be fine. Think he took more after Prompto than Noctis. But Prompto is pretty damned tough too, ya know. Also. He's ten. Cut him some slack."

"At least when you got this job you guys were closer in age." Ignoring the sweat, Griffin plopped down in the previously offered chair and raked a large hand through his dark locks. "Leor not only got all the weak traits, he also doesn't understand a  _ thing  _ about survival. I smacked him in the side with a  _ wooden _ sword. I never got it that easy."

“Keep hitting him. He’ll get it. I told the King he needed to get on his son about training. I started training him at a much younger age. You started your training at four. But Noctis was insistent, or perhaps it was Prompto. We’re also not at war, anymore. That might make a difference. Leor knows nothing but peace. The rest of us,” Gladio let out a sigh. “We’ve all been through hell and back.”

Griffin cocked his head and sighed, subconsciously thumbing at the scar that ran from his ribs to his navel, his first and most serious injury of the long night. It had happened when he was only twelve. Sometimes he touched it to remind himself of where he came from or when he was particularly agitated at the Little Prince. “All he cares about is chocobos and food. I guess that’s where we ended up, huh? But I guess it’s better to grow up this way. Some of the older guys tell me I got robbed of my childhood. It wasn’t all bad, was it?”

“Sometimes, I kinda think they’re right.” Gladio sighed, letting the cool liquid run down his throat. “I mean, it was hard explaining to a five year old why he couldn’t go play outside and why the park was off limits. You weren’t too young, but still- You remember that time you were ten? God. I thought I was gonna kill you, myself, for that one.”

“You mean when I took off on my own and went to visit my mother?” Griffin remembered the incident with a frown, how he had hitchhiked through daemon-ridden, pitch black, lands to get to a  _ fucking prison. _ The place had been a dump, though he wasn’t sure whether or not it had been better back in its prime. There had been an oil generator that smelled of old shoes, a bunker that smelled of sweat and rosewater and the faintest hint of rotten fruit everywhere. “I’m still surprised that of all things, the prison system was still in tact. But maybe I shouldn’t be. They had to stay safe, too. Even if it was a shithole.” 

“Yeah. I was prepared to tear down all of Eos to find you. But, somehow, a ten year old survived three whole days on his own in that hell. You are a stubborn ass, but you are my child. Ignis still holds that against you, ya know.” Gladio chuckled, looking over at Griffin. “I think you turned out good though. Even if everything kinda sucked when you were little.” 

“What do you mean he holds it against me and everything sucked?” Griffin gave a concerned jut of the lower lip, paired with tented brows. “I remember only good stuff from when I was little. Including that makeshift playground in the town square of Lestallum and you guys reading to me. I mean... I know I wasn’t the best but I really thought I had it good for a long time.”

“You do, but he’s never liked that you wanted to keep in contact with your mother. You know, because he kinda filled that role. Don’t let it bug you. So long as you know everything we did, we did for you.” This had not been the turn that Gladio had expected the conversation to take at all. “But anyway, how is the little kinglet doing?”

“Shitty.” Griffin gave a listless shrug his attention turning to the drinks on the table. “Freckle faced, snot nosed, spoiled little chocobo lover. He might look like a Caelum but he acts like a twerp and runs off to cry to daddy whenever I’m even a little rough with him. If you and the King weren’t so tight I’d probably be fired by now.” The young man grumbled, wishing the lemonade had something harder in it. “But I guess it’ll get better eventually. Where is your better half, anyway?”

“Cooking lunch. You know him.” Gladio laughed, tossing a glance over his shoulder. If he strained to hear the sounds of cooking from the kitchen were clear. “You ain’t doing a bad job with Leor. I honestly think you’re not being tough enough on him. He might be tender, and gets some a’ that from his other father, but he’s a Caelum. He _ needs _ someone to be tough on him. You make a great Shield, kid. Always knew you would.”

“Mm, thanks, dad.” Griffin chuckled and let his head fall back, enjoying the warmth against his face. Something he’d lived almost half of his life without. “You’re not so bad, either, for an old guy. But I think my other dad might be tougher. Half of the guys that trained with me say he’s scarier than any daemon. But I don’t buy that, much. He’s just a little guy and you were the one that was tough with me.” 

“You know, to be with someone as tough as me, your other dad had to be just as tough. I wouldn’t underestimate Ignis. You know he fought Ardyn and lived? Also messed with that fucked up ring and only came out with a couple scars. That is an accomplishment, ya know.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Don’t know much about that. I was living with Aunt Iris at Cape Caem at the time. It’s sort of turned into a myth around the training grounds. But he almost castrated a guy in my training group for calling him your wife. So I guess... no matter I’m just gonna be happy he loves me and wouldn’t dare threaten my balls with a knife.” Griffin snorted, finally starting to dry off. 

“Not until you got that heir under your belt, that’s for sure” Gladio chuckled. Looking at the now empty glass. “Could use a beer about now.” 

Griffin grunted at the suggestion, knowing he was currently older now than his father had been when he was born. Still, the idea didn’t thrill him in any measure of the word. Everyone he knew who had small children hadn’t done anything to make him feel secure in the idea of having his own. Then there was the spoiled, crybaby Prince. “Yeah, me too. Or a coffee. Or both.” 

“You might not share any of Ignis’s genetics, but you did get your tastes from him. You had your first ebony at three.” Gladio laughed, knowing that Griffin would frequently double fist an ebony and a beer. 

"I'm pretty sure that had to be an accident. Don't remember having one until after the Dawn. Dad wouldn't even let me touch brewed coffee. Obviously didn't stunt my growth, though." Griffin snickered at the thought. He was pretty sure that was a myth anyway as even Ignis was on the taller side and it was mostly the people who didn't indulge who were the short ones. He himself had grown to be almost a mirror image of his father, and not only in height and weight. Ignis occasionally joked that all he got from his mother was his habit of pissing off Crownsguard. "Did I have my first beer at three, too?"

"Almost," Gladio joked hearing the sounds of Chocobos 'kweh' in the distance. "You had a pension for anything in a can. But no. No beer." 

"That's probably good. Though you guys definitely curbed that can thing." Though Griffin knew the long night had a lot to do with it as well. With no factories in production for ten years the previous generation was having to relearn and teach their juniors, still. "And I'm also not dead so you guys did alright at the parenting thing, I guess."

"You sure as Ifrit made that difficult." Gladio was smiling though, and as the sliding door to the manor opened, he sighed. "One of the best things that ever happened to me."

"Then I guess you shoulda popped condoms more often." Griffin teased, not caring that Ignis could hear as he walked out with a weather worn aluminum tray covered in plates of food. "I mean, I always wanted a sibling. Little late now, though." 

"Nah. You were plenty a handful. Ya know." Gladio stood, moving to where Ignis was placing the tray down. "Griff. Go fetch the King and his family. Lunch is ready."

With barely a huff, Griffin heaved himself from the chair and gave a wave as he bounded off, still shirtless, toward the sounds of chocobos in the distance.

"So was that a nice conversation or the usual 'complaining about Leor' sort?" Ignis, now free of the weight of everyone's lunch, stepped toward Gladio and reached up to brush away locks of unruly hair that had escaped the Shield's ponytail. 

"It was a little of both." Gladio laughed, reaching down to pull the advisor in close. He glanced at the man's face and the scars they'd lived so long with. They were small, but they were a tell of what they'd been through; one through the eye mirroring Gladio's, one over the bridge of his nose and one over his mouth. 

Before Ignis could speak, Gladio smothered the man with his lips, smirking into his mouth.

"Gladio." A playful, delayed nudge separated them after the surprisingly passionate kiss. Still, one hand linked the Shield's belt, keeping them close. "What's gotten you into such an amorous mood?"

"Just remembering why I love you so much." Gladio's hand moved gently to the side of Ignis's face. They locked eyes just as a loud whine rolled down the hill, meeting their ears. Leor. "And how I'm the luckiest man on Eos with the best family anyone coulda asked for. And that includes Sleeping Beauty and co."

"We are lucky, aren't we?" Ignis's snarky smirk was slowly replaced by a soft smile. "We've worked hard to get here. I think we deserve it. All of us."

"Especially The Pr-King. Happily ever after?" Gladio chucked, eyes looking over at the boys all moving towards them. Griffin towered over the Royal Family as Leor ran ahead, slipping and falling again in the grass with a loud wail.

With a curse under his breath Ignis pulled away and went to help the little princelet to his feet. Noctis only laughed and leaned back as the two blonds fussed over Leor.

  
Griffin rolled his eyes in the background. "One of these days he's gonna have to get his  _ own _ advisor, dad." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am just dying from writing little Leor. We gave him traits from both of his dads, but well, its mostly a more tender Prom. Also, everyone loves Chocobos. We did use Ifnis ending, so Ignis does actually have the ability to see, but we left that til the very end!
> 
> Thank you so very much for making it through this cute little fic and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did writing it. We are looking to continue to push out these cute little fictions because everyone needs a little fluff in their lives. Stay tuned for more from us and as always, Thanks for commenting and leaving kudos! It shows us just how much you loved our work! 
> 
> Walk tall my friends!


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